New Frontier
by 000TragicSolitude
Summary: On a mission to recover a recently discovered Forerunner artefact on a glassed world, a group of Spartan-IIIs is attacked by an ex-Covenant faction. In the heat of the moment, an ancient mechanism is activated - a portal that sends them to a new world.
1. CHAP 01

**JULY 6TH, 2555**

 **UNKOWN LOCATION**

 **ONE HOUR AFTER JUMP**

Sergey-G005 slowly opened his eyes. Blinding sunlight fell on his helmet's visor. After a monumental effort, he managed to stand up. His heads-up display was flashing, his head was spinning. For a moment, he almost lost his balance and fell again. He didn't feel any serious injuries. There was just ringing in his head that wouldn't stop, until a soft, calm voice broke the white noise.

"Ow…" It grumbled. "You know, we really should be careful what buttons we push next time."

The voice belonged to Sergey's smart A.I companion.

"I was cut off…" Yoko said. "I don't know for how long."

"Me too." Sergey told her. "Where are we?"

"I…" Yoko fell silent, her voice seemingly distorting for a split second. "I don't know."

Sergey turned and noticed piles of burning piles of metal rubble scattered around the woods around them, along with bodies of Grunts and Brutes. It seems some of the Banished got here too.

He only now noticed that his teammates were nowhere to be seen. His radar didn't show anything else alive here.

"Any sign of the others?" He asked Yoko.

"There's something nearby." She explained. Suddenly, Sergey picked up on faint noises in the distance. It was growls and gunfire.

"Not any of ours, nor the Banished." She continued. "We're not on Kholo anymore."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"The movement, it's erratic… It's people?" She mused. "Four of them. This is… weird."

"Guess we'll just have to see it." Sergey picked up his battle rifle and headed in the direction where Yoko had marked the noise was coming from. He pondered about the situation. Because of the lively environment, they weren't on Kholo, since it was completely glassed. They were transported somewhere else. It could be another planet, possibly Forerunner in origin.

He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but it seemed like anything was possible with the Forerunners. And he was getting sick of it. He just wanted to find the others.

He jogged across the woods, his SPI armour mimicking the surroundings to camouflage him, just in case anything hostile came up.

…

Mardus observed what remained of his pack and the numerous useless Unggoy that accompanied them. Two dropships had crashed near them, most of their crews perished. The rest joined his group, bringing with them a functioning Marauder tank.

There were numerous other complications. More troops, along with Sangheili led forces dropped off from the _Burning Resolve_ , had been with them, yet now were nowhere to be seen. Mardus felt his shoulder twitch. One of the human Demons had landed a good hit on him, and he responded by a blow from his hammer to his chest. He could've thrown another fatal hit, yet another human interfered.

He wondered about those three. He noticed they wore an infiltration type armour seen near the end of the war.

They were on Kholo for the same reason Mardus and the rest of the Banished forces were. They wanted whatever the former Covenant had missed there when they attack that world during the war. The Forerunner artefact turned out to be a portal, instead of what everyone hoped was a weapon. The humans activated it, and they all ended up here. It was obvious they were on some kind of new world.

"Chieftain," A fellow Jiralhanae addressed him. "We can't reach the others or the ship. It appears we're alone. But..." He stopped.

Mardus grabbed his hammer and rested it on his back. "But what?"

"One of our probes found humans nearby," He answered. "Four of them."

"Four?" Mardus was perplexed. They were only three Spartans.

"They are not the Demons." He continued. "They have no armor, only strange weapons."

Mardus didn't understand. They were only four Spartans. Were they sent on some kind of human colony?

"Gather everyone," He ordered. "We're heading out."

The Spartans and the artefact were no longer his primary concern. Right now, they needed to find out where they were, and if they could still get out.


	2. CHAP 02

**THE EMRALD FOREST**

Ruby thought this mission was pretty tedious, until she saw the smoke. It was strange, because no one lives at the Emerald Forest.

"Smoke?" Her sister pondered at the sight, as did the rest of Team RWBY.

"There's Grimm nearby. They're coming to where the smoke is." Blake pointed.

"Strange..." Weiss expressed. "We should get back and-

Suddenly, Ruby jumped off and sped towards the direction of it. She wasn't sure why, but she felt she needed to go check it out.

"Wait, you dolt!" She heard Weiss yell behind her. She realised she forgot to tell the others to go with her. The Heiress continued, but Ruby didn't hear it. She took out her Crescent Rose in attack mode.

…

 **50 MINUTES AFTER JUMP**

Claire-G295 gripped at her chestplate in pain. She still felt the hit the Brute gave her, yet she didn't die.

She didn't die. Why did she not die? She couldn't remember why. All she recalled was the horde of Brutes and a flash, before she ended up here.

She supposed it didn't matter, because she's not dead.

There was a small crack on the right side of her visor.

She was breathing heavily.

Her left arm had trouble moving.

She looked up, and saw something that she didn't recognize. It didn't show up on her radar.

It resembled a wolf. It was large and black with white features across its face and body. It was growling, staring at her with its glowing, featureless eyes.

She didn't know what the animal was.

It didn't matter.

It was an enemy.

Claire was holding her M6C/SOCOM pistol in her right hand, with it having a few rounds before the clip went out.

" _Training_ ," her instructor, Tom-B292, had said to her and the rest of Gamma Company. " _Your training must become part of your instinct. Drill until it becomes part of your bones._ " She did, ever since she was six. Those words, much like the training, were embedded into her.

She stood up, ignoring the pain.

She raised her pistol at the beast.

She felt blood on her lips.

However, before she could fight back, the beast was cut in half in a sudden fast blur of motion. There was no blood; it just dropped to the ground, letting off some sort of black smoke.

It took her a moment to process the person standing in front of her who cut the beast. She was wearing a red cape. She was holding some sort of large blade, colored in crimson and black.

The savior turned and Claire saw she looked about fifteen years of age, just like herself. She wore a blouse and skirt.

She looked concerned. "Are you okay?"

Claire dropped her weapon the ground. It took her a moment to register that she fell too. She heard the girl talk again, but Claire couldn't hear clearly.

Everything slowly went black.

…

Kryckus saw the smoke nearby. He smelled blood and the scent of more humans, as well as something he couldn't recognise. Mardus had sent him to scout the area, and Kryckus was pleased that this patrol was not for nothing.

At this time, he was supposed to return to Mardus. Instead, Kryckus sprinted towards the smoke, holding his gravity hammer. He would find the Demons, kill them and claim his place at as Atriox's best servant.

Mardus did not deserve his position that was so close to the mighty leader of the Banished. He is an old weakling, unable to let go of the war that had ended for years now.

The scent grew stronger, Kryckus was close to his prey.


	3. CHAP 03

Sergey saw the silhouette of a crouching human ahead. He got closer, and saw a familiar large, bulbous faceplate gazing at him.

" _Come forward._ " The other Spartan ordered by flashing an index finger twice.

" _Acknowledged_." Sergey responded with a single wink of his green status light.

These signals were an intricate communication tool that only they understood. It was taught to them by their predecessors, like Petty Officer Lucy-B091 and the previous generation of Spartans, who originally came up with these cryptic messages.

Sergey did as ordered and saw a male form, which meant that he ran into the team leader – Troy-G319.

"How long have you been running around?" He asked with that authoritative tone that still annoyed the hell out of Sergey.

"It was a nice, short jog."

"Any sign of Claire?"

"Not yet, but there's something going on nearby." Yoko jumped into the conversation. "There's... a group of people."

"People?" Troy paused. "I thought this was some Forerunner place."

"We can talk about it later." Sergey responded rather harshly and turned toward the direction of the marked location. "Claire got hit pretty hard."

"Hey, are you-"

"Before you ask, no, I don't need Smoothers yet." Sergey cut him off. Yoko marked the same route on Troy's HUD. "Lead the way."

Troy quietly sighed. There were good reasons why Sergey was assigned to work alone as a Headhunter before the trip on Kholo, and why he was given an A.I to keep him company.

He wasn't the most stable of people, even for a Gamma. That's why he asked if he needed a doze.

Neither was Claire, for that matter.

And Troy was now stuck with them longer than originally anticipated.

"Let's go."

…

Ruby rushed over to the person she just saved. She turned them on their back, despite how surprisingly heavy they were. The figure had a feminine form. She wasn't that much taller than herself. She wore some kind of strange, grey armor, with various pouches. She never saw anything like it. The helmet was large and round, gold-mirrored in color.

Ruby poked the faceplate with her finger. "Hey! You okay?"

She fiddled around with the helmet, trying to take it off. With a groan, she succeeded and it flew off. She could finally see the face.

She had chestnut brown hair that was a bit shorter than Ruby's. Her skin was quite pale. She had a stream of blood on her face. Ruby froze.

" _Blood?_ "

She quickly snapped out of it and checked the girl's heartbeat, her chest covered by a damaged chestplate. It was working. She's just unconscious, but she needed help.

She couldn't carry the body on her own; she needed to wait for her friends.

Ruby heard something running behind her. Thinking it was the girls, she glanced back.

In the second she turned around, a loud roar erupted, and she saw a humongous figure resembling that of a Beowolf charging at her with a weapon, seconds away from reaching her.

She couldn't reach Crescent Rose in time.

"Hey!"

A golden flash appeared before Ruby from above, striking the attacker and sending him flying to her left side.

"Ruby, you ok-"

Her sister noticed the injured girl. "Who's that?"

Weiss and Blake came up shortly after, glancing at the body with the same perplexed expressions.

"A person?" Weiss exclaimed. "What's she doing here?"

The Heiress looked at whatever Yang had just punched, expecting a Beowolf. She went wide eyed, staring at the attacker.

"What… is that?"

"Don't know," Yang charged her Ember Celica. "But it's coming back!"

Ruby grabbed her scythe, protecting the girl, telling Blake to do the same.

Another loud, blood curdling roar filled her ears.


	4. MEMORY 1 : YOKO

**This will be the first of the flashback type of chapters, detailing the past of various characters. This one in particular has details that you should keep in mind.**

 **I don't know if I'll do this to RWBY characters, though, but I could. Thanks to those that follow the story, any comments will be appreciated.**

MAY 4TH, 2555

ONIRF TREVELYAN

While Research Facility Trevelyan, otherwise known as Shield World 006 - had only been found two years prior, it turned to be more of a jewel than Onyx ever was.

It was the largest Forerunner structure discovered by humanity, kept hidden by the now destroyed planetary shell of Onyx, contained inside a slipspace bubble of compressed dimensionality which kept it from view, until certain turbulent circumstances near the end of the war occurred.

Inside a darkly lit elevator, Serin Osman – the new head of the Office of Naval Intelligence – recounted to herself the facility's history.

The elevator led to a similarly gloomy corridor, leading to single room. This was 17B.

While there was already a joint Swords of Sanghelios-Unified Earth Government research project established in 2554, Trevelyan was still overseen by ONI, meaning that the existence of the 17B facility wasn't a breach on any sort of security.

Not only that, the head of the project was put in place by Osman's predecessor - Margaret Parangosky. All was secure.

Inside the room was housed the result of the extensive study of Forerunner technology.

A new "Smart" A.I, created by both scanning and replicating the neural pathways of a human brain - which was how a smart A.I were traditionally created - and Forerunner data mixed in-between.

The result is an A.I that had the possibly of equaling the power of a Forerunner ancilla and transcending the seven-year lifespan that a typical smart A.I is plagued with.

It was designated as 'Yoko.'

It didn't take to a genius to figure it just how much of a useful asset that could turn out to be. If the experiment went well, Osman hoped that Yoko would not be the only one of her kind.

The door opened, revealing several consoles. Osmon had personally allowed Yoko to stay alone here, so that she may learn all that she needed to.

"Yoko." She called out.

On the central console, a bright light flashed. Yoko's avatar took form, a mix of turquoise and cobalt in color.

The avatar was a short and thin female in her teens, with darker toned short hair and alluring, big eyes. She wore an opened jacket with something underneath it, a long skirt and boots.

Osman kept a mental note to check what person's brain she was created from. Smart A.I often retain memories and other details from the brain donor.

The avatar turned to Serin. For a few seconds, she kept a curious look at the ONI director.

"Serin… Osman?" She quietly asked.

"Yes, Yoko." Serin responded. It was natural that Yoko could have some trouble interpreting things because of the unorthodox methods used in her creation. She just needed time.

"How are you feeling?"

Yoko went quiet again, looking at her hands and thinking about something.

"Yoko?"

"It's strange… I've learned and processed so many things in a very short time."

She paused.

"I think I'm ready."

Serin smiled. "Have you made a choice yet?"

The 'choice' referred to which one of the hundreds of Spartan-IIIs from Gamma Company Yoko would choose to be partnered up with.

Osmon believed that for a time, Yoko's existence shouldn't be heavily spread out. She planned a field test to see how Yoko would operate in various situations.

One of the Spartans would be chosen, dispatched as a Headhunter who would be watched closely by ONI while Yoko would work as a companion.

She went with the IIIs rather than the IVs, as they were easier to control and get a hold of. They were bread to be unquestionably loyal, ever since childhood.

If one of them would go missing, it wouldn't cause any trouble. They had no prior history prior to their integration into training anymore.

"Sergey."

She showed no sign of it, but Serin was surprised by her answer. She remembered G005's psych profile and service record, as it was one of those that stood out among the rest. Why would Yoko pick a case like him?

Although, she reconsidered and came to the conclusion that an interaction between Yoko and someone like G005 could be intriguing. They just needed results, something to show that this project was worth the effort.

"Interesting. Why do you want him?"

Yoko smiled.

"I like him."

...

" _All these sensations... All these memories... they aren't mine, but it feels like they are. Isn't that weird, Sergey?_ "


	5. CHAP 04

Mardus examined the body of the strange, black animals that laid dead among the few of the Unggoy they had managed to hit with their claws.

They did not bleed when the troops struck them with the barrage of blasts from their weapons, as did the ones who were hit by Mardus's gravity hammer. They observed in confusion as the bodies of the beasts were simply slowly disintegrating, leaving nothing behind.

One of Mardus's captains approached him. "I wonder if Ruka has encountered these things as well."

"Worry about us, not Ruka." Mardus grumbled. Ruka 'Zovam was the Sangheili shipmaster sent alongside Mardus to Kholo.

He had stayed on the _Burning Resolve_ after dropping off Mardus's forces on the ground to reach the machine below the planet's surface. If they had picked the ship's signal, it meant that the CRS cruiser was somehow pulled here too.

But that didn't mean the ship was still operational.

"Move, we must reach the ship." Mardus ordered. He hoped more of the shadowy creatures wouldn't show up to waste their time and resources.

"Scary! Scary!" He heard an Unggoy shout while irrationally shooting at one of the dead creatures with a plasma pistol, who's head was already pierced with Needler shards.

He glanced at the last disappearing body of a larger one of them. Only then did Mardus realise that Kryckus had not returned from his patrol yet.

…

Troy and Sergey examined the huge foot tracks, heading toward the same way they were. Yoko identified them as Jiralhanae footprints. It confirmed what Troy already knew. He already saw a Spirit dropship crash from afar before running into his teammate.

"Well," Sergey looked ahead, where his HUD's TACMAP showed a small ridge leading down to their destination. "Someone's in a hurry."

The only reason both of them knew that the ones who ambushed them on Kholo were the Banished was because Yoko managed to identify them as such.

Even then, their name is all they knew. They had distinct armour and equipment, but information on them was limited.

Recalling Blue Team's incident on the colony of Gao two years ago, Troy wondered if the Banished were zealous worshippers of Forerunner technology much like the Keepers of the One Freedom were.

Maybe they were something else. A mercenary faction, probably, one that operated without Kig-Yar.

Whatever the case, they sprung on the Spartans out of nowhere, just when they reached the Forerunner machine.

He also mused about the strange circumstances of their mission. Why were the three of them picked for this? Troy himself was with Spartan Operations, and Sergey and Claire were with ONI for a while.

It would've made sense to send some kind of research team for something like a portal, similar to Trevelyan. And yet, it was just them and a strange A.I.

Maybe ONI and the UNSC just weren't sure what to do with the Spartans of Gamma Company.

Sergey stood still, feeling his hand twitch in agitation. He felt exhilarated that he could finally take out his frustration over Claire getting hit, even if it was just one of the Brutes.

He didn't care what the Banished were. They were just another cabal of freaks who all deserved the same thing; shots to the head from a Magnum and a slice of the throat from his combat knife.

Even if they weren't the Covenant, even if the war was over – it was another chance of avenging the glassing of Endymion.

"Ah," Yoko took on her usual blissful tone, taking notice of Sergey's state. "I'm glad you're as lively as ever."

"Are we close?" Troy asked, who didn't notice Yoko's remark.

"Yes."

She had explained earlier that this place was indeed not a colony, as it was devoid of any short of human communication she could pick up on.

But that didn't explain the presence of other humans.

The camouflaged Spartans, weapons in hand, moved down the ridge, their motion trackers now showing signs of six targets; four unidentified, one ally and one enemy.

…

Ruby could now clearly see what almost hit her. Its stocky body shape resembled that of a Beringel.

It had dark grey skin and fur, covered by various clunky, metal pieces of armour and dark crimson in colour.

The strange weapon it was holding looked like a hammer, way bigger than Nora's.

It's sharp, scary teeth and eyes stood out to Ruby the most. It wasn't a Grimm, yet it wasn't human or Faunus. Her teammates stared at it with the same dumbfounded expressions.

Blake changed her focus over to the armoured girl. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's unconscious." Ruby regained composure and switched Crescent Rose to sniper mode. "She really needs help."

Ruby and Blake covered the girl, while Weiss and Yang were in front and closer to the beast, who got up, roaring again and now holding its hammer with both hands.

Yang prepped herself when she noticed a streak of purplish-red liquid on her right gauntlet which she punched the freaky thing with.

" _Huh? Blood?_ "

The creature charged straight at the girls and Yang responded the same way.

"Yang, wait!"

Despite its size, it swung its hammer toward Yang with ease. She swiftly dodged it, and her Ember Celica fired its shots straight at her opponent's chest.

It grumbled in pain. Yang saw its chest armour crack, and the same purplish-red liquid splattered on it – confirming it to be its blood.

Yet the beast did not waver. In the second Yang's strike hit, the giant swung its hammer again.

Instead of a dodge, Yang responded by throwing a punch straight at the hammer, confident it she could smash it into pieces.

She felt something strange when the tip of the hammer was a second away from meeting her fist.

Her body, especially her arm; felt heavier, like gravity itself was crushing it.

She was suddenly sent flying.

She plummeted into something that felt like another body. It was Weiss, who almost reached the fight to support the blonde.

Ruby and Blake called out to the other girls before seeing them crash into the nearest tree to the right.

" _The hammer didn't even hit her. How did it do that?_ " Blake pondered.

Ruby told Blake to stay put, and aimed her sniper at the charging monster who took out two of her teammates in a matter of seconds.

It seemed like the best strategy was to avoid the hammer and hit it from afar.

She inhaled a breath. Blake was ready to help her by firing too.

Suddenly, the creature stopped in it's tracks, but she wasn't the one who pulled the trigger. Neither did Blake.

The shot came from the side. The creature's head was blown off, it letting off a short groan of pain.

It fell and dropped its hammer, blood splattered around its head.

The two girls looked in surprise as two figures emerged out of the blue near its corpse, wearing the same armour the unconscious girl did, pointing their weapons at them.

One of them spoke. "Who the hell are you?"


	6. CHAP 05

Standing on the edge of a cliff, Professor Ozpin held his gaze at the vast Emerald Forest, where Team RWBY was on patrol – and couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't going right. And they were behind schedule.

For the past few hours, he had seen the strange lights far, far away appearing for a matter of seconds and whatever had fallen to the ground after.

He didn't know what could explain these occurrences, but he felt he needed to make sure that his students were alright.

Glynda Goodwitch, his assistant, kept insisting that RWBY would be fine on their own. He hadn't told her what he saw in the distance, since she'd probably think he finally went mad.

"You've said it yourself that they have much potential," She tried to convince him. "So, I would suggest having more faith in them."

"I know," The professor had requested that she go after the girls. "But I'm afraid I have a hunch."

She did agree to go after them. Despite her arguments, she was concerned as well. It wouldn't take long to track them.

"I do hope it's only a hunch." She said.

…

Ruby and Blake held their weapons tight at the sight of two more strangers, seemingly materializing out of nowhere like phantoms, wearing the nearly identical armor as the unconscious victim.

"Who the hell are you?" The girls couldn't really tell which one of them was speaking because of their clear visors.

Ruby pointed her weapon down and hinted at Blake to do the same. She hesitantly put her Gambol Shroud down.

However, the two males didn't return the gesture. They approached, still aiming as if they were ready to pull the trigger any moment now.

Blake noticed a few erratic motions out of one them – as if he was agitated – now regretting putting her blade down.

"Um… we're Team RWBY." Ruby responded, awkwardly moving her hands up to ensure them that they weren't dangerous.

Ruby now saw which one of them had asked that when he seemingly titled his head in confusion.

"That's not the right answer." He said.

"Are you here for her?" Ruby asked and pointed at their companion behind her.

"Step aside, we'll handle it." The other one finally spoke up.

"She's hurt. We need to take her to-

"We'll handle it." He cut Blake off.

When Ruby was about to say that they just wanted to help, she was pushed to the ground from behind, as if someone made a run for it.

She looked over and saw the pale girl standing and frantically pointing her gun on the girls, looking like she was ready to fight like there was no tomorrow, with a slim stream of blood still running from her forehead and down her left eye and cheek.

She was hurt and fell unconscious earlier, yet her face didn't show it.

Blake recognized that expression, one seething with killing intent. The Faunus was preparing to make move, when the expression suddenly changed. She now looked in pain, but she didn't make a sound.

Her arm she was holding he pistol with inventorially dropped down. She looked like she was going to fall again.

One of the males put his rifle aside and swiftly took a hold of her from behind, preventing her from losing balance.

"Hey," He spoke to her, in a calming yet also authoritative tone of voice. "Stay cool."

She looked at the one in the visor holding her, and her expression suddenly changed from intensity to something more passive.

Ruby stood up. "Can't you see she needs help?! She was hit by something, she's bleeding-

"Yeah, we know. It'll be fine." The one still aiming at them answered her again.

Two figures came from the other side of the three strangers. It was Yang and Weiss, looking a bit bruised from being hit hard by that thing earlier. The girls now encircled them.

…

It wasn't a surprise Claire suddenly woke up. Her special augmentations kicked in, pulling her through a blow that would kill a normal man and sending her into a brief aggressive frenzy, allowing her to keep fighting.

For a Gamma, this was both a blessing and a curse.

Troy was holding her still and she now looked like a sad pup, probably realising that she had lost control. But she was probably still feeling the pain.

Sergey was glad she was alive, but he wondered how it was possible that these two girls were still standing. The blonde one was hit by a gravity hammer.

A hit from that would crush even a man in Mjolnir, and she isn't wearing armor. None of them are. The teenagers were dressed like this is some sort of Inner Colony costume party.

Their weapons were the weirdest part so far. Now that they were closer and while Troy was busy with Claire, he analyzed them.

The shortest one had what looked like a giant sniper rifle. The darker carried something that looked like a huge cleaver.

The blonde had some sort of gauntlets. The white haired lady was holding a clunky rapier.

Troy sat Claire down and picked up his M7S SMG, putting it away. He gestured Sergey to do the same.

The four girls briefly conversed with each other, until the white haired one finally addressed the Spartans.

"What in the world where you doing in the Emerald Forest of all places?!" She asked in a rather obnoxious tone.

Troy then responded to all of them with the most important question out of the many ones they had at the moment. "Where are we?"

"Are you deaf? I said you're in the Emerald Forest!" The white one talked again.

"What, you got lost?" The blonde jokingly asked.

Sergey jumped in. "And where's the Emerald Forest?"

The girls looked at each other and back at the Spartans in confusion.

"Okay, you really are lost." The blonde said.

"Uh… We're in Vale." The shortest one answered.

"What planet?" The leader asked.

Their dumbfounded expressions grew larger.

"Did you fall out of the sky or something?" The rapier wielder asked, looking at them like they were a bunch of crazy people.

"Who are you?" The dark one asked, sounding calm.

"We could ask you the same thing," Sergey said. "And you didn't answer his question." He turned to look at the short one, who looked similar to Claire.

She hesitated, looked at the others and then answered. "We're on Remnant."

" _Remnant?_ " This wasn't anything the Spartans recognized. Yoko had pointed out earlier that she could pick up on some faint communication signals, but they were too primitive to be UNSC or colonial.

Sergey and Troy glanced at each other, both realizing that none of this made sense. They couldn't focus well enough to muse about what this could all mean, especially the presence of these humans.

"Is that thing related to you?" The blonde asked, pointing at the corpse of the Brute near them.

"I guess you could put it that way." Sergey responded.

"Now that she answered you," He heard the one with the ribbon again. "Tell us who _you_ are."

A violet series of flashes sparked, surprising both groups. A blonde, middle-aged woman holding a riding crop appeared before them. The Spartans saw the eyes of the girls widen in surprise.

"Professor Goodwitch?"


	7. CHAP 06

The sounds of dozens of footsteps and a Marauder tank cutting through waves of trees echoed across the forest, loud enough to alert more shadowy beasts to their presence, yet none had attacked.

Mardus had seen plenty of things that the Forerunners had left behind years before, yet it was only machines and structures that were beyond the comprehension of most beings in how they were created. Huragok were their only organic creation, as far as anyone knew.

These dark creatures didn't seem to be their doing. Perhaps it was. They were capable of many things, Mardus had learned that much, even when he was blinded by the lies of Covenant.

He remembered that they detected the presence of four humans, even though there was only three Spartans. Not only that, Kryckus never returned from his patrol.

He couldn't waste time trying to figure out their situation now. That could be done later once they'd have the cruiser. Kryckus likely fell to the beasts. As for more humans, they may have simply missed them on Kholo.

His train of thought was interrupted when the group was now facing an open, grassy field. In the distance, silhouettes of structures came into view, covered by a light fog.

They came closer and closer until the structures were fully observable. Large columns, temples and other construction was scattered around, all made of stone. It was in ruins, completely abandoned for who knew how long.

The architecture didn't look like Forerunner design, especially due to their stone composition.

Not of Forerunner origin…

"I don't understand. This is nothing like the structures on the glassed world." Mardus heard.

The remark came from Tallius, a young Jiralhanae, yet one that Mardus relied on quite often. He wore scavenged, scarred armor. It was contrary to what Mardus wore - his very own War Chieftain amour – mostly intact and polished. The war passed, but he couldn't throw it away.

"I'm sure it is nothing we're unfamiliar with." He said to Tallius, trying to keep him focused. Even if it wasn't Forerunner, there were plenty of rational explanations. Some human colony, perhaps. It had to be. "We've heard of and seen of much more stranger things."

Tallius didn't look fully convinced, but he still trusted the Chieftain's judgement. It reassured Mardus that he still knew what he was doing. Commanding troops requires both audacity and great strength. A mantra he knew by heart.

Even if they weren't truly soldiers anymore, old habits are hard to break.

Out of the corner, the Chieftain spotted something strangely large for what it was gently floating down from above.

" _A feather?_ "

Before he could ponder on where it came from, startled Unggoy and Jiralhanae pointing weapons made Mardus turn to see shapes approaching towards out of the fog in front of them.

It looked they were slowly forming into existence with every step. It was active camouflage.

Five beings were fully visible now, not much smaller than Jiralhanae and walking with reverse-jointed legs.

Sangheili. He saw a couple swiftly putting away their energy swords back on their hip before they could activate them.

Four of them wore standard amour, gazing at them with their mandibles fully exposed, but not the last one. He wore a helmet and combat harness that completely covered his body, dark red in color.

Instead of eyes, he saw a bright, blue visor. He was one of Ruka 'Zovam's personal warriors, made clear by that distinct appearance.

"Mardus," He spoke, his voice sounding deep and almost distorted, perhaps an effect of that helmet. "We didn't think you would find us."

The Chieftain couldn't tell if that tone of relief was genuine or not. "Is the ship intact?" He asked.

"Nothing serious," The Sangheili gestured with his arm and turned. "Come along."

…

Claire-G295 woke up again. She was on her back, feeling exhausted. Her adrenaline rush was over. She still felt lightheaded.

Strangely, she didn't feel much of the pain in her chest anymore. Something was still there, but she wasn't bleeding now.

For a moment, she thought that what happened in those woods was just a strange dream and she was in the medical bay of a UNSC ship that picked her and the others up from Kholo.

But the room they were in broke that illusion. It was grey, annoyingly bright and dull. A regular non-military infirmary, maybe.

"Goddammit," She heard from her left, what sounded like Sergey. "How many times am I gonna get knocked out today!?" He was a punching what looked like a reinforced glass wall.

To her right, Troy sat in the corner.

"You feeling better?" He asked. She nodded to signify a 'yes.'

"Well," The disembodied voice of Sergey's A.I filled the room. "Glad you're awake again, Claire. They patched you up after taking us here."

"Yeah, real nice of them," Her Spartan stopped punching and turned to look at her. "Let's thank them for smashing us some more and taking our weapons."

He went to another corner, folding his arms. "How'd she do that, anyway? It's like she hit us with gravity."

Claire remembered the older woman now, who somehow manipulated the bodies of the Spartans and smashed them on the ground. She also remembered where they were.

" _Remnant?_ "

"I'm not sure why," Yoko spoke. "But I think they've brought us to a school."

"A school?" Troy titled his head.

"That's what it looks like. Lots of younger people here in uniforms. I was conscious during the whole trip." She explained. "They have no idea what the three of you are."

"What, they've never heard of Spartans before? Or _soldiers_?" Sergey asked, clearly annoyed and clenching his fists.

"And I've never heard of a colony called Remnant." G319 said.

"Neither did I," Yoko was musing. "In fact, it's completely unidentifiable. Even glassed planets have still had a name left. We're a long way from home."

Troy went quiet for a moment. He was probably assessing the situation or wondering why Yoko's tone always changed when not talking to Sergey.

"Maybe not. Maybe you missed something." He said. "And there's humans here."

"I'm sure." She affirmed. "It's not just an Outer colony. It's beyond that."

Troy wasn't just going to let this go. No sane person would. But he didn't get the chance.

"Wait, someone's coming." The A.I reported. The Spartans tensed up.

The woman from the woods was now there, with a fierce look on her face.

The other one was a middle-aged man with silver hair and small, shaded glasses. He was dressed in some kind of fancy suit and vest. He was holding a cane, yet he didn't look he needed it. His expression was more neutral, almost like he was looking at house guests.

"I'm sorry for the rough invitation. It's just that my colleague here is the under the assumption that you are dangerous."

He was holding a mug. "Would you like a chat?"


	8. CHAP 07

When Ozpin sat them down in front of his desk, Glynda took position closely behind them with a glare much more intense than usual. He understood why, of course.

"Introductions are in order, as they say," He put down his mug on the table. "I'm Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy."

They were stiff and clearly on edge, but he hoped they could at least be willing to talk. They were all without their helmets now. They looked old enough to be his students.

The middle one had short light blonde hair, with a stern look on his face. He was probably the leader. To his right, the other male's hair was slightly longer and black. He was the most expressive one, and he wasn't pleased. Both of them were quite tall.

The last one was unreadable. Her overall built was similar to that of Ruby Rose, along with the length of her brown hair. She was looking down, looking totally blank.

"Troy-G319." The leader pointed to himself and then to the others. "Sergey-G005. Claire-G295."

That all sounded quite unusual. "And those are your last names?"

"We don't have any." He didn't flinch.

Well, at least we've started somewhere…

"From what Team RWBY has told me, you seem confused." He adjusted his glasses. " _Very_ confused, in fact. You don't know where you are."

'Sergey' folded in his arms. "We've figure it out. It's a school."

"And do you know where Beacon is?" He asked.

They didn't answer, which is what he expected.

"Beacon is located in Vale. And so is the Emerald Forest, which is where we found you." He explained. He suspected he had to take things slowly.

"What's your point, sir?" He asked. He noticed 'Troy' giving him a quick glare, as if he was giving him orders.

"I'm simply why three people would suddenly appear in such a dangerous place," He paused, deciding to get to the point. "And then ask what planet they're on."

The males subtly exchanged looks, perhaps deciding what to say, while 'Claire' looked like she wasn't even listening.

"You think we're just crazy people, do you?"

They weren't. And there was obviously something strange going on. He saw the lights in the sky. And RWBY explained the strange creature that attacked them, which wasn't a Grimm. The headmaster decided to discuss it later, if he could.

He took a sip of his coffee before answering. "I don't. I've seen many things in my time. I would just like to know where you come from."

"What if we don't wanna say?" Sergey glared.

"Then I would like to propose my help." He had something in mind. Maybe it wasn't wise, but it's what he felt he should do, at least for now.

…

 **TEAM RWBY'S DORM**

The girls sat on their beds, pondering on this insane scenario that they've already had a talk about. Some kind of ape-like thing attacked them and then some people in crazy armor people showed up, asking what Remnant is.

The worst part was that Ozpin and Goodwitch didn't let them have a talk together. Why? They saw each other. Ruby was troubled the most by one single thing.

 _Is that girl okay?_

"I don't get it," Yang moved her arm around. "It's like it hit me with gravity or something." Whatever that creature did, Yang didn't do much before she went flying. She said that if it wasn't for her Aura shield, her arm could've been blown off.

"And it wasn't a Grimm, right?" She asked. That was a detail that the girls couldn't wrap their heads around. "We're clear on that, right?"

To Ruby, it seemed like a fairy tale monster came to life. For the brief time she saw it, it obviously wasn't a lifeless husk like a Grimm, yet still too savage to be a Faunus.

Yang looked over to the Heiress. "Weiss, you ever seen that armor before? And those guns?'

It seemed like a reasonable to ask her about it. It wasn't a secret that the Schnee Dust Company employed that kind of high-tech weaponry, since that's what the kingdom is built upon now.

But ordinary people didn't know the specific details of what they could be building next. Maybe Weiss had an idea.

"Does that even look _slightly_ Atlesian to you?" Weiss shot back. She already made it clear that she thought of them as nothing more than crazy people. "That's clear enough, even if I'm not an expert in those matters."

The blonde shrugged. "Sorry, I thought you knew everything."

"I'm going." Ruby got up and said, not sounding as resolved as she hoped she would be. They weren't going to be left out.

"Ruby," Blake called out to her, still keeping that impassive look of hers intact. "They said they'll call us.''

"That's right. We'll just have to wait." Weiss added.

Ruby knew they would wait even longer and longer, and then longer, until it turned out they'd be written off entirely.

"Sis, you're worried about that girl, right?"

She was. Yang figured it out. While Ruby didn't say it, she didn't like that Weiss called them lunatics when one of them looked like they were dying.

The image was so vivid, and wouldn't leave her mind. Ruby saw a person drop right in front of her, covered in their own blood. It gave her a sense of dread she hadn't felt in a very long time.

"I'm sure they've taken care of her." Yang confidently said.

Yes, they definitely have. That was the right thing to do. But what's going to happen to them?

…

When he heard the headmaster's explanation of what exactly Beacon Academy was, Sergey felt surprisingly less mad. The Spartans now had a clearer idea of where they were.

A school to train kids to fight monsters. That explains those weapons. It did sound like a premise of some cheap children's show, but they just had to follow along to get any progress.

His helmet was near him and Yoko was definitely listening, but keeping herself quiet was a good idea. He could also feel the blonde woman's deathly glare behind them.

As for this 'Ozpin', he was clearly the kind of man who took careful consideration of his every action and word, adept at hiding his feelings behind of a mask of deceit. He was experienced in his field.

It just like people like Serin Osman, except Ozpin wasn't the conniving type.

 _And what kind of a name is 'Ozpin'?_

"So," Troy went on. "What's the point? How do you think you can help us?"

"Do you know how to return home?"

They didn't. But they didn't need help. They could figure it out.

"We'll think of something." Sergey said, hoping that Ozpin would just get to the point.

"I thought that you could stay at Beacon while you adjust."

Did he actually believe they were from another planet?

No, it had to be some sort of trick to keep them contained. No one here knows what the Spartans are. This isn't a normal world. Not an advanced world.

What if he did? He must've known about the dead Brute back at the forest.

"Why?" Troy actually looked confused, but he tried his best to hide it.

Ozpin leaned back in his seat a little, a half-smile formed on him. "I believe Vale's authorities would have many questions if they saw three fully-armored teenagers running around town with firearms."

"It's okay, sir," Sergey put on his best deadpan face. "I've blown up plenty of buildings before."

The headmaster seemed unsure of what to make of that comment.

"The point is that I think it would be best for you to stay under cover. Spending your time here would be a good to do that, given your age."

Was he proposing that they become his students? What was he thinking?

"You're keeping us locked in here, aren't you?" That was the only real explanation Sergey could think of.

"No," The man was still fully composed. "Again, I don't think you're lunatics of any sort. You truly don't know what Remnant is. You should learn, and then you'll figure what you'll do."

He looked slightly amused now. "Do you accept?"

The Spartans went quiet. Claire still didn't seem to care, and Sergey intensely looked at his leader with a look that clearly displayed how he felt.

 _Don't. This isn't normal._

"Yeah," G319 finally said. "What do we need to do?"

 _You've gotta be kidding me._


	9. MEMORY 2 : MARDUS

_Unwillingly, I remembered the time of my ascension to the position of War Chieftain, bowing before the Prophet of Conviction on his flagship, after I had claimed another world in my long and gruelling struggle against the humans._

 _"With this new power granted to you, your path to salvation will be swift."_

 _'The Prophet of Conviction.' Ironic, because I no longer felt any conviction at all._

 _I saw it all. It was almost the same as the human world of Reach. The sky and ground burned brightly. Flocks of warships eradicating each other with endless streams of plasma._

 _But this time, I was not faced with victory. All I could see were countless corpses of my brothers and soldiers. It no longer gave me the will to fight. Their sacrifices no longer gave me resolve as they did in my past campaigns._

 _Then, from my failing cruiser, I knew it was the end. The parasite devoured all in its path. The humans won. The Prophet of Truth is dead. The Covenant – The Journey – was over._

 _It was still heresy to think so, but it no longer mattered. I do not understand why, but I had lost my faith. At the time, I did not know that my reason for living and the purpose of the Covenant was a lie – that we were worshipping mere machinery left behind by a race that died long ago._

 _They were not gods. Some might still believe that a god who creates tools is still a god, and it is not for us to impose qualifications upon the divine or presume to guess its intentions._

 _But that was foolish. The truth was that we spent decades on a false and bloody crusade that coasted us everything. The war was meaningless. I had no purpose._

 _I realized that later. At that moment, however, I was simply at a loss. I did not want to die like this._

 _I made a decision. I rushed to the bridge. What remained of my men wanted to fight the accursed enemy who had destroyed the path to the sacred Journey._

 _I tried to reason with them. I tried to convince them that none of it mattered anymore. Everything was crumbling down and they needed to survive._

 _I should have simply fled on my own. I should have expected them to accuse me of being a heretic who had abandoned all that was important._

 _They raised their weapons, and I raised mine. It was quick. I swung and swung, hating myself for what I was doing during every second. But I suppose that needed to be done._

 _They fell, cursing me with their dying breaths. I was left with wounds in my chest. I crawled to the control panels, not bothering to ignore the pain. After all, there was no one to see me like this. The ship shook. It was hit again and again, attacked by Sangheili. There was not much time left._

 _It was a set random set of coordinates. I could feel the ship tearing itself apart while it entered the slipspace portal._

 _Slowly, the sounds of clanking metal around me disappeared. I saw a light. For a moment, it seemed like I was actually ascending to the Journey – that this was my true end._

 _Of course, that wasn't true. That was not the end for me. The ship crashed on a dead, nameless world._

 _That was when I met Atriox, one who grew himself into a feared legend among the Jiralhanae. Maybe it was fate, but I now longer believed in such things. He found me, the only survivor. He convinced me that I was not a coward for choosing to escape that fight._

 _He offered me a chance to join his side. I accepted. I had no doubts. No one else did. The Banished gave us a purpose, just like the Covenant did. However, we were free._

 _I found conviction again. It was not because of blind faith, but of my own strength. That was what Atriox encouraged me to do._

 _As one of his Chosen, I will follow him anywhere._

 _Was that what you wanted to know ? You may not understand all of this, because you're still young. You joined because of the thrill of combat, like many others in this pack. But remember this: Do not let yourself be chained down by your beliefs, because it may all come crashing down one day._

 _And no, I did not encounter the Demon. If I did, I would not be alive to tell you this story._


	10. CHAP 08

They were more than just foreigners, Ozpin thought. Not only did they not have any knowledge of where they were, but it there was also the fact that the Headmaster couldn't sense a single trace of Aura in any of them.

So far, despite what Glynda suggested with her deathly glare, it seemed like everyone would go down smoothly.

The only condition he had is that they would have to remove that amour during the normal periods at Beacon. They agreed, but the Sergey fellow clearly wasn't happy.

"And what about our weapons?" Troy asked.

He was glad they mentioned it first. He did note that their firearms didn't have any double function of the sort, which just increased his curiosity. They were like soldiers. They acted like adults.

He thought they were a little young to be like that, but maybe it was hypocritical, considering his students of the same age train here to face Grimm. And he did have students like them before.

"You will have them back. However, it would best if you keep them out of sight in your dorms most of the time." He kept his tone as neutral as he could.

"Dorms?" Sergey asked.

"Yes. Beacon is a boarding-type school, after all." He said. "Also, if you don't mind, I'd like to provide you with a guide around the school whenever you need anything. I'm not always available, you see.'

Sergey's stare was almost as piercing as Glynda's. "We'll be watched by your people."

Ozpin put on a reassuring smile. "It's nothing like that. Your guides will be Team RWBY. You've met them at the forest. They're very nice girls, I assure you."

"It's fine, sir." Troy affirmed.

"I'm glad."

Ozpin took one last sip from his mug and stood up. Glynda told the girls to wait until they'd needed them. Now was the time.

…

The CRS-class light cruiser, with its red-lighting, was positioned over a large crater filled with the same ancient, battered structures as before. Multiple cloaking generators were on the ground encircling the ship as a precaution.

By the former Covenant's standards, the ship was quite small – often considered a weaker much version of a CCS-lass cruiser who's only use was reconnaissance.

But whoever made the mistake of underestimating it would be vaporized. The Banished made full use of it, modifying its speed and armament to stand against bigger warships with help from the few Huragok they had.

On the bridge, Mardus stood in front of Ruka 'Zovam, with his crimson combat harness that covered him completely along with his face, leaving only a bright red-tinted visor.

Perhaps a smaller vessel like this suited his background, but the Chieftain didn't believe he was fit to be a shipmaster. He was a skilled warrior to be sure, but in the end, he was a shadow – one belonging to a Sangheili group that had no use after the war had ended.

"Would you like to explain how this happened?" His voice boomed. As with his subordinate, it was distorted inside that helmet.

Mardus humored him. "You already know. As I said, we encountered Demons."

"Demons cannot pull ships into slipspace," He growled, "Do not test my patience."

"What we encountered below the crater was a large Forerunner structure. The Spartans arrived there before us and ambushed us." The Brute explained. "It seems that in the chaos of the battle, they accidentally activated the structure's function."

"How many of them were there?" Ruka asked.

"Three."

"And you managed to survive."

"They're not all of the same caliber." Mardus affirmed.

What they hoped to find below Kholo's surface was a weapon or another useful tool. What they received was a malfunctioning portal of some kind. Why the Covenant had not detected it's presence during the war is unknown.

"I don't understand how the ship was pulled here." Ruka said.

"Neither do I. But Forerunner technology never ceases to surprise." Mardus noted.

Ruka activated the control board. Holographic representations of the ruins below the ship formed.

"If it led us to this place, then there must be something to it." Ruka tried to reason with it. "If this is a human world, we might know soon enough."

Mardus made no mention of the encounter with the local shadowy beasts back in the forest. It didn't seem important.

What was important was the fact that the ship's slipspace drive, along with numerous other functions, was damaged in the abrupt jump. It couldn't be determined how long the repairs would take and they had no Huragok on board.

Ruka tapped another control panel. A high-pitched, muffled voice of an Unggoy answered.

"Yup, yup! Uh, what you need, shipmaster?"

"Pluk, how long should the repairs of the slipspace drive take?" Ruka asked, clearly not content with the situation.

Pluk, rather surprisingly, was an Unggoy engineer. Mardus didn't really know if he was good at his job at all, though.

"Uh, well," Pluk seemed nervous, "Should be, uh, short, yup yup-"

He heard a metal screech, as something broke down, then Pluk started coughing. Perhaps that was an indicator.

"Do not force me to motivate you to work," Ruka kept a low, but threatening tone. "Make it quick."

"Yup, yup!"

Ruka sighed. Mardus was aware that the crew didn't think much of him, leaving the Elite to impose fear on them, rather than respect. It was quite amusing.

"I was put in charge of a band of fools." Ruka said.

…

The Spartans had to wait outside an unused dorm room while the Headmaster went to check those four girls in another part of the building. Thankfully, his scary assistant went with him.

Yoko noted that nothing about the building seemed unusual. It was definitely human, but more akin to something from the 21st century. It didn't help to make things more clearer.

"I don't like this at all, just so you know," Sergey couldn't stand waiting around.

"Use your brain for once," Troy said, "Better to stay here than in the woods. We can figure out everything later."

"He's right," Yoko spoke from Sergey's helmet, "And besides, I think this could be a very socially-gratifying experience for you."

"Funny."

Sergey had a bad feeling about the geezer with the mug. It was almost like Osman. Never-wavering, fully-confident – all while planning to shoot you in the back.

 _At least Serin's completely honest about it._

He turned to Claire, who was standing motionlessly like a tool waiting to be switched on. "You think the old man's fishy too, right?"

She nodded. Troy definitely had the same feeling, but the leader would probably keep it to himself, even though the Headmaster said he'd keep their guns for a while.

 _Well, at least I've still got the knife._

They picked up the sound of a walking cane and footsteps. There was a third person with them. Ozpin approached, along with the other woman.

Behind him, another girl stepped out. She was much like Claire in appearance, yet more alive. She had shades of red covering her clothes, including her hair. Sergey took notice of her eyes – they were silver.

She seemed nervous. The Headmaster, as composed as before, gestured her to approach Troy.

They both stood there silently for a few moments. She put on an awkward smile and reached out for a handshake.

"Um, hi," She said "I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose."

 _Catchy name._

Troy accepted the gesture with a perfect smile, contrary to her. "I'm Troy."

She was focused on his face rather than the armor, strangely. She'd only seen Claire without the helmet. She averted her gaze quickly out of embarrassment and focused on the other Spartans.

"And, you're?..."

"Sergey. That's Claire."

She observed Claire. "So, uh, you're feeling better?"

Claire nodded as a _yes_.

"That's good." The other girl smiled again, though more genuinely this time.

"You're the leader, right?" Sergey asked, "Your team's named after you."

"Well, I am, but it's not really like that," She said, "It's more of an acronym."

"Oh." He didn't really get it, though.

The Headmaster looked as though he was amused. "You'll meet the others tomorrow. I'm sure you're tired, so feel free to use the dorm. I apologize if it's not in the most perfect condition. It's a spare."

 _Yeah. Thanks._

"Have a good rest." They walked away, while Ruby Rose took a quick, curious glance at them.

When they were gone, the Spartans walked in.


	11. CHAP 09

All things considered, the dorm was normal-looking and somewhat welcoming, though a bit rusty in some places.

It wasn't too cramped for the three of them – almost reminiscent of the dormitories of Camp Currahee on Onyx, though this room obviously wasn't designed for military trainees. It was livelier and colorful, with many accommodations.

Two sets of bunk beds lay on the right and left side. A large window separate them, giving out a view of the rest of the campus.

Claire stood by the door while the other sat on the beds. Sergey fiddled around with his helmet and took out Yoko's data crystal chip. SPI armor wasn't designed to hold A.I, so the changes to his set – courtesy of Osman, felt rather crude at first, but it grew on him. He didn't have a clue how Yoko felt.

"It's cozy," The A.I spoke and the chip flashed, "I like it."

Sergey took a deep glare at his team-leader, trying hard to understand his way of thinking.

"So, you think this is a vacation?" He asked, trying hard to control himself.

Troy looked at him for a moment, looking disappointed that he has to retort to 005 yet again.

"No, just think of it as a covert mission."

"That's not what I meant," Sergey clenched his fists, "Maybe I can accept this, but what if a whole lot more Banished got sucked in here too? You really think they're just gonna shake hands with the locals like we did?"

"We saw one Brute," Troy sighed, "Maybe that's it, or there's more of them that we can handle."

The other Spartan couldn't keep his patience anymore. He stood up, ready to give 319 a piece of his mind.

"Besides, are you angry because you're worried for these people or that you haven't killed every enemy?" Troy asked.

"Sergey, will you stop?" Yoko demanded. The data chip on the bed flashed once more and 005 stopped moving.

"Sit down. It'll be fine." She sounded like a concerned and annoyed mother.

Troy antagonized him, perhaps unknowingly at first, but now he didn't feel the need to hold back. "Maybe that's why he worked alone all this time. That wouldn't surprise me-

He didn't hear her, but Claire now stood over him. She had a clear look in her eyes that told him to stop talking right now. It was a much scarier kind of mother.

Sergey sat down again, arms crossed. Claire didn't bulge from her position in front of Troy.

There was a definite silence.

Then a knock on the door.

The Spartans turned their heads towards it, instinctively tensing up. Sergey hid Yoko's chip under the sheets and went to answer the knock.

He was met with the sight of Ruby Rose.

"Uh, hi. Again," She tried her best to smile, "I forgot to give you these, it's from Ozpin."

She held three hand-sized devices that looked like tablets.

"It's your Scrolls." She said.

Sergey observed them, then hastly grabbed them.

"Is everything okay?" She must've noticed that he looked that he was still upset.

"We're fine." He closed on the door on her and waited until he could hear her walk away.

He turned and threw the tablets on the bed. "Well, a considerate old man, isn't he?"

…

"How did it go?" Yang was burning with curiosity.

"Well, fine," Ruby shrugged, "They don't seem so bad."

Weiss kept up her posture of disapproval. "Yes, especially for those that pointed their guns at you."

"Come on, Weiss, there were just a bit…. Uh, spooked."

"Yeah, now everything should be cool, right?" Yang was supportive as ever to her sister.

Blake wasn't too keen on trusting them either, but it was because she felt something deeply abnormal about the three of them. She only picked up on it briefly, but that was more than enough.

"Did they say anything?" The Faunus asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Anything specific."

"Um… no, not really, why?"

"I thought it would give a general image of them." She went back to reading.

"Oh, psyche tactics? That's what you'd do." Yang smirked. "By the way, Ruby, what do those two guys look like?"

The leader slowly turned her face away, as it went up in a shade of red as deep as her cape.

"W-what do you want me to say?..." She murmured.

A devilish smile spread across the blonde's face, perhaps meaning that she got the reaction she wanted, along with a clearly surprised Blake. "Oh, I see, so you're-

"You're seriously focused on that?!" Weiss grabbed her by the collar, "They could be spies or something!"

The Heiress poked Ruby on forehead as she scolded her. "Ow… Okay, okay…" The red girl whimpered.

"Maybe Weiss just can't wait to see them herself, huh?" Yang joked.

One look at Yang, the Schnee sighed. "Let's just go to sleep already."

Despite what the others may think, Ruby believed that building trust between these strangers and themselves was key, even if one side seems like a bunch of personality problems. Or both of them, when she thought about it long enough.


	12. CHAP 10

Professor Ozpin's last instructions last night were clear: Hand them their scrolls and uniforms. Ruby fulfilled the former, yet was too tired to accomplish the latter. She was curious on how the headmaster had this ready so quickly, though.

The first half of the day went as it usually did and she managed to stay somewhat awake. However, the three newcomers were nowhere to be seen. She assumed they were still in their room.

It was concerning that Ozpin didn't say anything about them, no matter how much she and her friends demanded details. His excuse was that he respected the wishes of these strangers to not say anything.

Was it too crazy ? Did he think they couldn't believe it all ?

Whatever the case, it was almost lunch time now – what was undoubtedly her favorite time of the day.

When she went back to her dorm, Weiss was there and so were the three stacks of bagged uniforms.

"You want me to give it to them ?" Weiss was obviously disappointed that Ruby was dropping it on her because she was lazy and eager to go eat.

"See you at the cafeteria !" Ruby rushed to leave after handing out her instructions.

"Wait !"

Her teammate caught her by the red cape. "I don't know where their dorm is !"

"Oh…"

She gave Weiss the least confusing explanation of where to go to find them and the heiress let a beleaguered sigh.

"Is there anything else ?" She asked, just in case.

"Could you tell them to meet up with us at the cafeteria ?" The leader put on her puppy eyes, "And, um, could you be nice to them as much as you can ?"

Weiss disliked that she kept falling for that technique. "I'll try."

…

After traversing through many identical corridors, Weiss finally found herself on the path straight the door of this rather isolated dorm.

Ruby said they weren't bad, but what if she's just blinded by her childlike enthusiasm ?

The girl mentally repeated to keep herself on her guard, but she wouldn't do anything hasty.

She approached the door and hit a two light knocks. Ten seconds must've passed. No response.

Not only was she hungry, but feeling ignored only made more annoyed.

She gave two louder knocks.

After five seconds, she stood before one of them. He was helmetless, but the rest of the armor stayed. For a moment, she saw the other two – sitting quietly in the background in what must be the black under suit of their armor.

But she was analyzing the one before her, gazing at her with an equally annoyed look as hers.

He was tall. Seemingly equal to Neptune, she thought. Short, jet-black hair completed with brown eyes.

It was unremarkable, yet something was off. He seemed older, but not. She couldn't place her finger on it.

He was looking her over. "Was the red one busy ?"

She ignored the comment and presented the uniforms.

"Here. Also, we think you should join us at lunch."

"Lunch ?"

"Yes… lunch. We have a dinning hall. It's easy to find it. Or do I need to lead you ?"

Of course, she wasn't in the mood for it.

"We'll manage."

The door prematurely closed. Weiss was left in the dust.

 _What, not even a thank you ? Fine._

She supposed it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be, but what did Ruby see in them ? Granted, she didn't get a look at the other guy...

 _Oh, no, her way of thinking is corrupting mine..._

…

SPI was not like Mjolnir, but the feeling of being without his armor was still a bit unnatural for Troy. He sat with one of three devices given them yesterday, pondering on what Yoko said.

They were collapsible, holographic tablets. Yoko described the tech as similar to what the rest of humanity currently has, but downgraded.

Still, it was useful to have something to communicate with.

Sergey closed the door and dropped a stack of clothes on the bed.

"Another gift. Uniforms."

"Only now ?" Troy asked, thinking that that girl forgot her job for the second time. "Was it her again ?"

"No. The white-haired one."

That may not be that descriptive at first, but it wouldn't be hard for anyone to remember how those four looked like.

"I think these girls aren't good at management," Sergey added. "Also, she said we need to go the dinning hall. It's lunch time, apparently."

Now that they had everything they needed, there was no choice but to come out and begin the act of blending in.. The Spartans already agreed on not saying anything unusual – whatever unusual here meant.

There weren't any objectives anymore, as Sergey managed to cool down.

"Let's get dressed." Troy ordered.

"It's either this, or we won't eat at all," Sergey had a realisation, "I guess your plan isn't that bad."

…

The uniforms were surprisingly formal. Troy and Sergey were clad in black suits with red ties, accentuated with golden lines. It may feel even more unnecessary than navy uniforms, but they did now look like anyone else.

Maybe they could tolerate this degradation, but Claire could not. She had a brown jacket, white shirt and a red ribbon. It also included a plaid skirt, complete with stockings. As a whole, it was flashier than the male version.

Her teammates looked her over from what could only be curiosity, since they weren't affected by these things. That didn't change how she felt. Troy had the decency to stop and not make her mad, but Sergey didn't.

"You almost look approachable in that, except the usual scary face." He stupid smirk appeared again.

She didn't bother to stare at him, instead lowering her head.

"I don't like it either. Anyway, let's-

She brushed past them, quickly heading off first out of the room even though she didn't where to go yet.

The signature Gamma drugs that kicked in Claire back the forest may be increasing in effect. Troy put a pack of Smoothers in a inner pocket of his suit, but he hoped he wouldn't need to use it yet.

"Wait, what about me?" The voice of Yoko called out.

"You're staying here," Sergey said, "You can crack the tablets and get some info off it, right?"

"Well… yes." She sounded down. She wasn't thrilled with being separated from him.

"We'll be fine."

They headed out, trying to catch up with an increasingly agitated Claire.


	13. CHAP 11

The slipspace drive room was covered in a light smoke. Machines shrieked as Pluk and his group of Unggoy engineers, though judging by the sight, maybe that title wasn't meant to be taken with much respect.

"I don't see much progress." Mardus addressed Pluk. Presumably for protection, he wore a full-face methane breather, one which originally belonged to Unggoy Heavy units.

"Well, uh," He clearly was afraid of punishment for his slow work, "Hard to work without much parts."

It was understandable, especially if he worked under someone with little understanding like Ruka. Unlike most others, however, Mardus tried to be patient with Unggoy. They were always useful, even if they were considered mere cannon fodder.

"What did you do before you ended up here?"

"Not much, was mostly stuck with Brutes," The Grunt scratched his head, "Was better at blowing stuff up. But me always had some good at fixing stuff. Fixed lots of Banshees in the past."

So, perhaps he could at least be called an amateur. The faint burning smell of the room pulled him back to the matter at hand.

"You said you don't have any spare parts left, yes?"

"Uh huh, nothing left here after job on Venezia."

Even though he was now aware of the problem that plague the ship, Mardus saw an opportunity for them to gain a better footing on this new, unknown land. He headed off to meet with Ruka at the bridge.

"In that case, we'll simply give something new to work with." He reassured Pluk.

"Huh, how? Nothing around here we can see."

"Then it is time for us to take a little exploration trip, isn't it?"

Curiosity plagued Mardus. Too many strange things had occurred. This world had to be brimming with at least some intelligent life, human or not.

...

Despite the increasingly heated state of one certain Spartan, finding a way to the dining hall wasn't too difficult thanks to crowds of other people going the same way.

When they saw it, it had the same gothic-style in it's architecture as almost every other part of the Academy. It was rather huge in both length and width. It was nothing like the conservative and cold mess halls of Camp Currahee.

They looked around the rows of tables which seemed to be just as long the hall itself – one of them spotted a waving hand of Ruby Rose, sitting along with the rest of her team and another group of four people.

Claire sat away from everyone else, though still close enough to hear the conversation. She didn't bother to eat everything. It's not because the food was bad – on the contrary, it was great. She'd never had anything fancy like that.

"I don't think three-person teams are that rare," The dark-haired with magenta-colored eyes spoke, "I've heard of those in Haven Academy."

"If Ozpin accepted you here at this time," A girl with blood-red hair – another rather composed person, spoke, "You must be talented."

"Yeah," Sergey was more focused on his food, "I guess we are."

The other two weren't much to look at. The blonde boy was like a lost puppy: nervous, stuttering and just a general sense of being the odd one out.

The girl with the short orange hair and turquoise eyes was putting all her attention and energy into her food. She seemed to be close with the dark-haired boy, though how he could handle her was something she didn't understand yet.

Sergey looked up to face the white-haired girl's glance, annoyed.

"What?" He asked.

She did her best to look away at the last second. "What do you mean, "what?""

"I don't like people staring at me while I eat."

"I wasn't staring," She scoffed, "I have the right to be curious."

"Wow, I didn't know I was so enchanting."

It was clear that Team RWBY wasn't usually this quiet at lunch. They must've been trying to keep things under the radar like the Spartans did.

However, they weren't really doing a good job. Either Ozpin had told them everything or they were too curious for their own good. And now, Sergey's deadpan dab made the white-haired girl want to explode and break the ice.

She stood up in frustration. "Listen here, you-

"Weiss," The redhead interrupted her with a calming smile, motioning her to relax, "They're new, remember? I don't think you should erupt on them so soon."

Ruby Rose popped up, disappointed with her teammate. "Yeah, Weiss, you promised."

"You're too nice," she said, "And you!"

She pointed straight at Claire.

"When will you start talking?"

She didn't respond. No movements, no visible reaction. She felt she want trying not to explode.

The annoyed girl clearly must've sensed something when she was hit by Claire's stare, so did the others. She was not the dominant one in the interaction. She sat back down.

An uncomfortable silence stuck the table.

"Sorry, she's not really the talkative type." Troy cut in.

"And kind of scary…" The blonde boy murmured.

"Guess she'll have a lot in common in Blake, huh?" The blonde girl said and nudged "Blake" on the shoulder, who didn't really like that comment. "You know I'm right." She added.

The orange-haired girl took a moment away from the food. "So, what, you guys are like their babysitters?"

"Well, we're just going to show them around," The blonde woman spoke, "We don't want them to get lost, you know."

"And we appreciate it," Troy said, "But we don't want to be a bother."

The discussion slowly faded away for Claire. Everything did. Her vision was turning into a haze. She felt like she needed to break something – someone. It's happening again.

 _It hurts. My head hurts._

But a sound did come through her. She looked behind her. Laughter. Mocking laughter. A girl was whimpering.

A girl with long, brown hair was standing next to a group of boys. She thought one of them was pulling her hair at first, but it was something else.

She had a set of long ears on the top of her head. Ears… rabbit ears?

Was she already hallucinating?

But that didn't matter. The boy pulling those ears was her focus.

Before she even knew it, she was a few steps away from him.

For a moment, he noticed her, but he didn't anticipate the punch to his jaw. He flew across the table, straight into the food of his friends.

She stood amidst the sea of people looking at what just happened in a blink of an eye. She didn't know what she was doing. She just ran away towards the corridors.

...

 _(This is why you take your meds, kids. Also, I'm sorry. I'm going to try to have a consistent chapter upload schedule. It's just that I'm basically the goddess of laziness.)_


	14. MEMORY 3 : RUKA

The Banished is home to a collection of individuals who – in their own way, wanted to free of what was shackling them back. Though no matter the reason, be it treasure or blood – all were influenced by the actions and words of Atriox.

It is said that Atriox's growth as a legendary warrior began in his service in the group composed of Jiralhanae known as the Bloodstars. Rather unusually, it was lead by a Sangheili, a member of the Silent Shadow.

The Silent Shadow operated exactly as their name implied. Its name was feared through out the ranks of the Covenant who knew about them.

The few that remain joined the Banished. One of them did not do so necessarily because of Atriox's conviction, but rather the desire to accomplish his own rage-fueled vendetta.

The efficient and ruthless Sangheili warrior known as Ruka 'Zovam had a deep hatred for Demons. However, it was not the same kind of Demons that destroyed the massive _Unyielding Hierophant_ or the Halo ring, nor were they the new brand of soldiers produced now by the humans.

It was a different kind of beast, one the Covenant knew very little about during their crusade against humanity. Ruka heard rumors about them for quite a time.

Through out a number of engagements ever since the early years of the war, they were said to appear out of thin air on the battlefield. The distinct difference in them was the size in which they attacked.

Dozens, hundreds - they charged at the enemy with ferocity comparable to the Jiralhanae and their speed outmatching the Kig-Yar, even when they were gunned down in droves.

He often believed it to be exaggerations, but it was nonetheless intriguing. Ruka finally saw them for himself on that distant moon that once belonged to the Covenant for the search of Forerunner artefacts. The ones his pack of the Silent Shadow encountered worked in pairs, moving silently in stealth cloaks to destroy the local bases.

It was then that he felt he understood how they worked. The stories told of hundreds of them, but he realized that their strength was in numbers. By themselves, they were small and weak. This is why they moved silently, as they can't survive a direct confrontation.

As the First Blade of his unit eliminated one member of the last pair from a surprise strike from behind, he felt disgust. The fact that these mere assassins managed to destroy so much by themselves was unforgivable. They had to be eliminated.

The six of them faced the remaining one, yet he spoke with no care. He was taunting them, unfazed by the death of his partner.

" _I kinda like me, actually. But you being here, means yer not somewhere else, get ? All this… these resources, all yer skill, wasted on a few pathetic humans makes me feel kinda good – kinda special."_

The fact the gloated even though he now knew that his comrades were dead and that his mission ended up as a failure was angering. Ruka or anyone else could've simply shot him through his visor with their carbines, yet the priority here was capture.

The First Blade officer continued to attempt to make him realize the disparity of his current situation, yet he continued to defy them.

" _This ends one of two ways, chief. I either walk out of here, yer teeth hangin' from a string around my neck, or I die with my first down someone's throat."_

No matter what the First Blade said, he was almost jovial. He was just wasting time. It didn't matter, as the First Blade grabbed him like a doll. He disabled the power to their armor and weapons, but it didn't matter.

However, they didn't anticipate the blinding white. Ruka was farther back when the blast hit him.

When he awoke, gasping in his broken armor amidst the scorched field, everyone else was dead.

In that moment, he felt anger and shame. He should've been dead instead.

Despite the humiliation he suffered as the result of the incident on the moon, he was transferred to another squad. But he still couldn't ignore it.

Even when the Great Schism erupted, the thought of these Demons wouldn't escape his mind. However, his new First Blade Resa 'Azavayl was dragging him and the others on a crusade against the Jiralhanae as the Silent Shadow lost its purpose.

It's as if Resa went mad. They chased and killed every Jiralhanae they found. They wandered about aimlessly with this goal, from the cruiser _Rapid Conversion_ to Covenant holdouts on Sansar.

But this was pointless. He wanted to break out. Retribution was his goal. This was perhaps what allowed him to kill Resa so easily onboard the corvette known as the _Elegy's Lament_ when he refused to let go of his blind faith.

 _"I see you for what you are and what you could be. We can do great things together. Not as master and slaves, but as the warriors you truly are—free to continue your crusade without the shackles of outdated faith."_

Joining the Banished was a decision only based on survival. To Ruka, Atriox's speech meant one thing: He was now free to focus on the Demons who shamed him and destroyed his former unit.

The decision to place him in command of the CRS-light cruiser known as the _Burning Resolve_ was only a means to an end. But his vengeance was unrealistic. All of these lesser Demons might all be dead by now, but he could always hope.

…

"That's bunch of crap," Flap accused Pluk, "How you know he was on the moon at all ? Or what Atriox said ? Or _everything_ else ?"

"Me might know things you don't," Pluk said as he remembered that Mardus would show up soon, "Me been around for long times. Now go work. Lunch time over."

"Oh, oh," Yizip cried out in excitement, "Next time, tell story about that Forge you met on Venezia !"

" _Rion_ Forge, idiot. Go help fix things. Or shipmaster gonna slice you in half."


	15. CHAP 12

In this unleashed state, Claire didn't know how long she ran for. She stopped in the middle of a corridor that couldn't be distinguished from any of the others. She thought that if she escaped the crowded dinning hall, then her head would stop feeling like it was burning as bright as a star.

The damned mutagen known as 009762-OO in her started to wear off, turning her into something akin to an animal.

For the Gammas in general, the symptoms were more or less the same. The loss of reason was one of them, but the mental consequences on individual Spartans were not the same.

Claire found that what amplified her rage was sound, any kind of it. It would echo in her ears. She realized now that she hit that tall man because he and his surroundings were loudest source of noise during that moment.

She had to stop that source, then. She didn't feel the punch she threw at him, either. That was also a consequence of the augmentations. But it just wasn't enough. She knew it. After all, he wasn't the Brute that smashed her chest, so it wasn't satisfying. It might've been healed somehow, but the damage was still done.

 _It still hurts. It's going to explode._

She stood there like a drone, not really thinking about anything. Then, the sounds of a pair of footsteps resonated loudly behind her.

She turned around to face it in the blink of an eye, ready to fight again. But even now, what was in front of her was no threat. The female in the same uniform surpassed Claire in both her height and her well-defined figure, yet she seemed timid in her posture.

Her long hair was clad in a much more appealing shade of brown than hers - so were her eyes, almost like caramel in color. However, the only traits she recognized were the long, rabbit ears. She didn't really care if she was really hallucinating or not, but they did seem real.

"Are you okay?"

She spoke quietly, still a bit startled from Claire's agitated reaction earlier. She possessed an accent, one that sounded… Australian? She slowly presented Claire with a small Scroll in her hands. "You dropped this when you ran."

She must've been afraid of Claire at first, but a smile now showed itself on her lips. "I've never seen anyone pick a fight with Cardin. I think… you saved me."

It all slowed clicked for Claire. This Cardin was harassing her. She remembered how he gripped her ears. It hurt her. That's why she was whimpering.

"So… thank you." She said.

 _Thank you?_

With these words, Claire's head felt lighter, she no longer needed to grip it in pain. Suddenly, both of them looked back to see a short-haired, ash-blond boy. It was the familiar face of Troy. She took the Scroll from the rabbit girl's hands and passed her to join her leader.

"You're… new, are you?" She was stopped by the rabbit girl's words, "I'm Velvet."

For the first time in ages, Claire felt the urge to speak. It took her a few moments, but…

 _Cla… Clai..._

"Claire," She spoke out, probably sounding even quieter than Velvet, "I'm… Claire."

Velvet waved her a goodbye and went on her way in the other direction. Troy approached, his brown eyes – lighter than Sergey's, looked at Claire to signify that he wasn't pleased.

"I should've given you the doze sooner," He said, "Sorry. Your head hurts, right?"

She nodded, even though it was less bad now. He pulled out one of the hypodermic needles, the Smoothers.

"We'll do this here before things get worse. And quickly, Sergey might go off too now that he's alone back there."

Sergey truly would go off in a worse way than her. While the augmentations made a Gamma more impulsive and violent, G005 was already full of these two traits to begin with. She got closer to Troy, keeping her down. She felt ashamed of her loss of control.

"Hey, it's not your fault," He reassured her, "You didn't kill that guy or anything… I think."

He looked puzzled for a moment. "By the way, it's not just you. I saw those ears. Either this is some fashion trend we don't know about or we're going to have to do a little digging."

…

It was quite disheartening to Yoko that Sergey would just leave her alone in this room, especially since he had no reason to do so. True, her curiosity was indeed insatiable, but she had no problem being quiet.

 _Dummy._

But still, her need for knowledge could at least be somewhat satisfied by accomplishing this current task: Interact with these Scrolls that Troy and Sergey left for her to find anything useful.

She first described it to the Spartans as a downgraded version of what humanity has now, but that wasn't totally accurate. It was rather something that was created much earlier than in the 26th century.

She understood the name. The interlocking grips allowed it to be collapsible, like a traditional scroll of paper. But what was the important part were its contents.

She fully let herself in. Compared to current human and Covenant technology, it felt like nothing. Describing what an A.I sees when interfacing with any particular device was somewhat difficult, but what Yoko saw was a colorful realm where she could dig and find whatever she wanted if it was accessible.

She saw herself, as well. She was a dot of turquoise and cobalt light – almost ethereal, which was something she couldn't really control.

What she could control was appearance. Her form was clad in a long sundress. It's just the first thing she thought of, it was instinctual. She wondered if it was another residual thought of her brain donor, whoever she was. Serin Osman had never told her about it, along with other things.

But she liked this appearance of hers. Although, she knew of one A.I like her who chose to be a featureless cube – his argument for that being that he doesn't need to make himself appealing to inferior humans.

He was quite… mean, though she did find a liking for him when Osman introduced him to her.

" _This childish behavior of yours isn't suited to be partnered with a Spartan. I wouldn't suggest getting attached, either. You're simply a helping hand for him, not his mother. But if you're anything like your donor, it seems that will be impossible."_

She respected him as a senior of sorts, but Yoko believed that simply acting like any other tool wasn't going to help create an efficient partnership with a Spartan. Sergey has his armor and weapons, but he needed someone to see and do things he can't.

She went back to digging in the Scroll. Mail and text message functions, data storage… All the things that made it a typical smartphone, but the purpose of one function escaped her: Aura monitoring.

But she expanded her range beyond the two Scrolls in this room. Her area of "vision" increased and she picked up the signals of more and more Scrolls, which weren't empty like these new ones.

They were all connected through one single, wireless network. It was rather strange. Why would they use a single method of communication for all their devices? She tried to seek the source, what powered it.

It was huge… some kind of building, not far away from here. But amidst this virtual sea, she could track Claire's Scroll. She was in one distant corridor, alone. The direction she came from was the dinning hall, which was full of people.

She knew Claire was at the edge. Yoko hoped the other Spartans would stabilize her. This curse that the Gammas had made her incredibly sad, but she couldn't do anything from here.

Finally, she also realized that this position wouldn't allow her to keep track of potential Banished activity, unless they decided to come out of hiding.


	16. MEMORY 4 : JOURNAL

August 1st, 2555 – Journal Entry #12 of Dr. Hara

 _Curiosity has been the driving force behind many of the achievements and downfalls of humanity as a collective. It is the drive that pushed it to expand beyond the homeworld of Earth and spread itself across space. Of course, it is somewhat of a double-edged sword. Curiosity is theorised to be linked with the anticipation of reward – and with colonisation came the reward of worlds that proved to be the solution to overpopulation and consumption of resources. Over time, as conflict loomed over us as it always had before, we were curious about the new ways we could use to destroy each other._

 _On the individual level, "state" and "trait curiosity" are the classifications that determine whether curiosity comes within or outside you. "State" is the question of the mundane, such as why the stores in your neighbourhood close at this particular time of day. "Trait curiosity" refers to those who are specifically interested in learning, which is what I am. The desire to understand my surroundings has always driven me to move forward, ever since from the day that I learned of the origin of the name of my home at a young age – New Carthage, named after the eponymous once-great city and the general who was on the verge of bringing Rome to its knees. I looked into whatever field I encountered - be it history, psychology, xenoarchaeology and x_ _enobiology, though I never mastered any of these fields in particular._

 _I've noticed that I am very easily captivated by what we call "morbid curiosity". Aristotle thought of it as to "enjoy contemplating the most precise images of things whose sight is painful to us." I am fascinated by death and turmoil - from the countless conflicts of the Earth's past to the Insurrection and the Covenant war. We all feel this need to find meaning in horrible events one way or another, of course. You want to and feel like you should, but you simply can't look away from a car crash. But this need can become addictive._

 _It lead me into becoming interested in what is the most personal; human behaviour and how we interact with each other. What motivates us in our actions? How do these psychodynamics truly function? I now question myself. I've loved two men. I think I felt a different sort of attraction to both of them. For one of them, it was a primal, physical thing – a series of selfish acts where I wanted only to be fulfilled as a need to stop feeling alone. There was nothing more to it. The other was my need for something more, something that pleased me at an emotional and psychological level. But again, it was for my sake._

 _But I'm not completely selfish. I also feel the desire to comfort others in that way. I worked with scared and confused children and adolescents once as an intern in a child psychology center on Mamore, a world that was plagued by insurrection. That made realise how fragile we are at our core._

 _I suppose it makes sense that I'm questioning my own actions and thoughts, things that I've done and seen. I don't have much time left, after all._

...

Serin Osman closed the book. She had read through dozens of pages today, making it about four of the entries in the journal. She looked over them many times. This last one was written on August 1st, but today's date was October 2nd. Dr. Chiyoko Hara would certainly never appreciate this breach of privacy by looking into her journal, no one would. But Serin was curious. _Isn't that what you're obsessed over, Hara?_ In the gloom of her office, the glow of BB lit up on her desk. The cube hovered around the book. Already having gone over every entry, he had let Serin go through them herself for the past few days.

"Certainly a sad thing," He said passively, "Forced to pass away at the age of twenty-seven."

"Do you know what her condition is?"

"Guillain-Barré Syndrome, as you know," He said, "She always had quite a frail constitution, but these cases are treated well. GBS is rare, and mortality because of it is even less so."

That may have been true, but there was something about the way Chiyoko phrased herself in her last entries that indicated a sense of despair and assurance that she couldn't be saved. " _I don't have much time left, after all."_ It made Serin suspicious, as if Hara knew it would happen one day.

But if her passing was truly a certainty, then Serin felt that she needed to know at least a few things about this woman who kept so much to herself, the one who chose to be the center of ONI's new project.

"She described her past relationships before. I've asked you to find out who were these two men in particular, BB."

"Yes, quite a hassle it was," The cube hovered, "At twenty-one, she met Felix Petrov of the Marine Corps, confirmed to be KIA. The second was one of her colleges at the Institute in Sydney, the thirty-year old Albert Campbell. She met him a year ago, actually."

"Does he still work there?"

"Afraid not," He paused for a moment, "He committed suicide at that time. The cause is unknown."

Serin sat there, looking into nothing. "What do you think of her, BB?"

The cube hesitated for two seconds at such a unexpected question; perhaps what would be two minutes for human. "Quite well-educated, yet reserved. Often lost in thought, yet passionate about her work."

"I'm asking what _you_ think of her, BB, not a vague overview from a professor. You've already read the journal."

"Alright, then," He hesitated for another second, "Quite strange, if you ask me, but exceptional nonetheless. You've made a good choice by picking her."

"Did I?"

"Hara agreed for her brain to be donated. You reasoned with her, she complied."

Yes, she did agree. In order to complete what was being done at Research Facility Trevelyan, an exceptional brain was a needed element for this new A.I – one potentially free of rampancy when combined with the technology researched at the Shield World. Not only that, Chiyoko worked at the Sydney Synthetic Intellect Institute at Sydney, Australia. The matter of understanding and implementing artificial intelligence was what Hara grew to be well-versed in. Perhaps from her point of view, the donation of her brain would be her mark on the world. That's what Serin hoped, at least.

She opened the book and looked over the entry of August 2nd. This was to be the final page she would read today before returning to work.

 _..._

 _The process of creating a matrix for a Smart A.I is a jarring one. Only when the host is dead can the donated brain can be used to replicate its neural pathways, then the brain tissue is destroyed. The end result is too perfect, thus it is fated to end because of a limited lifespan._

 _I've accepted Serin's proposal because I have nothing to loose. She and ONI may consider Smart A.I to be tools, but they're more than that. We have been creating entire artificial minds capable of intellectual development and adaptation on their own beyond any machine before them. They learn and process at a rate that I and no one else ever can._

 _It's almost funny. I'm intrigued about death, yet I'm actually quite afraid of it – like a child is afraid of the dark. Maybe a part of me will live on in this new creation, no matter what it will be used for._


	17. CHAP 13

The students of the dining hall gawked at what had happened so suddenly, seemingly without reason. A random person – a nobody, stood up and knocked out a guy who seemed like a big deal in this school with a hard, precise punch to his face. Claire stormed off with a look that gave off the idea of a thousand little needles picking on her brain. Sergey was now alone, as his other partner chased after her. The white-haired annoyance was perplexed, along with everyone else at the table.

"What, what happened?" She asked.

"You pissed her off with how loud you were," Sergey smiled, "Be glad she didn't take it out on you."

The girl with the ribbon - Blake, was the most observant of you group, he could tell. She had this certain look in her eyes that Sergey picked up, like she was always on high alert. She looked at him.

"She looked like she was in pain," The dark-haired girl said, "What's wrong with her?"

"Like I said, you're all too loud, probably." He brushed her off, though he didn't bother to be subtle about it.

Ruby Rose stood up in grand concern. Perhaps much like Troy, but more naïve because she was unaware of the real reason why Claire was set off. She looked at him with a face that could've probably melted him a little, if he was capable of that.

"Can I go look for her too?" She asked, "If you don't mind…"

"Sure."

She ran off as well, ignoring the calls of her companions. The ribbon girl didn't soften up, giving him an accusatory stare.

"Aren't you supposed to chase her? You're her teammate."

"This happens from time to time.''

"So it's _fine_?" The Weiss girl was appalled, "Is it normal to punch strangers in the face where you're from?"

'Yang' was no doubt impressed by the sudden burst of aggression, a great hint as to who she was. "And they said _I'm_ headstrong…."

Sergey looked over at the sight. The victim of the hit struggled to get up from mess of the fallen food around him. His lackeys watched him, stunned as everyone else. Finally, he got up, anger in his face. He was disoriented, like a confused dog. His friends talked to him shortly before he fixed his gaze on the one Spartan left sitting at the table.

"Hey !"

The boy with the burnt-orange hair called out to Sergey, approaching him with each step loud like a tank. The soldier let himself be grabbed by the collar, facing a teeth-clutching animal. He was amused rather than intimidated.

"Where'd your pal run off to ?!" He yelled.

"She's not looking for a date."

"You think you're funny," He grinned, "I'll guess I'll just have my way with you instead!"

The others attempted to cut in and defuse the confrontation, but the angered boy dismissed them. Sergey didn't care either. He was holding it in for too long now. The secrecy, the act of hiding, it was all too tiresome. Troy and Yoko weren't here to stop him. Nothing could stop him.

With a swift swing of his head, the Spartan's forehead struck against the other's face.

"You-

He instantly let go off as he was pushed back. He stumbled about, gripping his face in pain.

"You bastard !"

Sergey's own head did sting a little, but it was of no consequence. The payoff was worth it. He heard many reactions of the crowd around, stunned and exhilarated at a prospect of a fight with a notorious bully who let himself get hit by yet another nobody.

"How lively it is here," One voice now dominated all others, "Lovely."

The blonde woman in white, black and purple – like an apparition, appeared between the two males ready for a fight. Professor Ozpin's assistant mere presence had an impact on the students; she had a status of authority. She observed the two back in forth. The orange-haired boy seemed to change his tune just a little once she showed up, but the Spartan wasn't wary of the woman by now.

"Sergey, was it?" She was deeply unamused, more than usual, "When you were invited by the Headmaster, getting into fights wouldn't be ideal behavior, right ?"

"His friend started it," The other one interjected, "She hit me out of nowhere and ran off !"

"It's irrelevant now what or who started this, Mr. Winchester. What's important is knowing when and how to exercise one's power. There are proper opportunities to do so, rather than brutish food fights. Would the two of you wish to test it?"

Sergey didn't feel like he understood her meaning. Another woman - the redhead from Team's RWBY's friend group, stepped in.

"Professor Goodwitch," She spoke with ease, "I'm sorry, but is escalating this really the right idea?"

"That is for them to decide, Miss Nikos."

"That's right, all-star student," Winchester lit up again, "We're gonna have a go at it."

A training match, that's what it was really about.

"Do you accept the offer ?" The older woman questioned him.

He thought about it, how much of a bad idea it seemed to be. But…

"Sure," He answered firmly, "But I've got one request."

…

Ruby tracked Troy and Claire down to their dorm. Troy, though surprised, didn't mind her presence, or at least didn't show it. He had set down Claire on a bed. She looked drained. Whatever compelled her back at the dinning hall, but it must've been serious. Ruby sat next to them, observing her. Claire had her head turned away from them, drifting off.

"What happened to her ?"

"I'm sorry," Troy hesitated, "It's just … a condition. It's not that serious not anymore."

Rose sensed that he didn't wish to go into details. "She'll be fine, right ?"

"Yeah," He looked down, "It's just that I could've stopped it in time. So much for a leader."

"But you're taking care of her now," She smiled, "That's what a team leader would do, right ?"

He looked at her in slight curiosity; the same look Professor Ozpin had given her when they first met. "Maybe you're right."

"U-um, sorry," She looked down as well, flustered, "I shouldn't even be butting in like this, I think."

"It's fine," He gave her a calming smile, "I don't mind the concern."

It reassured her. They sat in comforting silence, as Claire looked peaceful in her sleep. But Ruby noticed something that seemed to be hidden next to Troy. It was a pouch. She thought she was seeing a needle attached to a syringe. Before she could ask, someone else entered the room.

"Sorry," Sergey said, appearing almost excited, "I gotta suit up."

"For what ?" Troy asked, confounded.

"What else ? A fight."

...

 _No I am not giving up on this trainwreck yet dammit I have to keep going but I don't know what I'm going lalalaa oh oh god oh god-_

 ** _Bang_**

 _(It appears that 000TragicSolitude has suddenly shot herself)_


	18. CHAP 14

With patience and preparation, Mardus had gathered a unit that would venture outside the ship. They gathered outside the ominous Lich dropship in one part of the hangar bay, readying themselves. A dozen was chosen, most of which being his Jiralhanae, fully armed. For additional firepower, the rest were Unggoy Heavies, the more formidable of their kind. A pair of Mgalekgolo would join them as well, despite their usual silent dismissal of other species. He chose the young Tallius as the leader, who was enthusiastic about his role.

"Do not forget," Mardus handed him his hammer, "Their lives are in your hands."

"I shall not."

But he would also be accompanied by Pluk. The engineer Grunt did confirm that he did not have enough parts to fix the ship, so Mardus had "convinced" him that he would know what he and his workers would need, so he should be there first hand. This wouldn't be needed if they simply had Huragok onboard, but resources were spread thin these days.

"This very dangerous," Pluk murmured nervously to himself, "Yup yup, too dangerous for me … "

Mardus had not forgotten that they detected a potential presence of other humans besides the Spartans back at the forest. Not only that, one Brute that he sent as a scout to investigate the matter never returned. It would be logical to assume that this unknown world was inhabited, so the group he had put together would take advantage of that. Find something of use, raid it and then take what's worth after. That would solve the problem of finding spare parts for Pluk. The door the hangar opened, letting Ruka 'Zovam enter. Mardus heard his loud steps and the muffled breathing he let out from his helmet, indicating his frustastion.

"Mardus, you old fool," He growled, "What is all this ?"

"A salvage mission, of course. You should know that Pluk needs more to work with."

"I did not authorize any excursion," Ruka approached and faced Mardus with his visor, "Especially one that jeopardizes more of our resources for his failure."

"You are impatient," Mardus stood firm, "This is also a scouting mission. If we are to stay here for a time, it would help to familiarize ourselves with this place; especially the Demons and more humans are here with us.

For a moment, they stared each other down. The hangar went silent as everyone watched their silent confrontation.

"Do you believe you are allowed to do as you please ?" Ruka asked.

"No, but are we not the Covenant. Atriox gives his subordinates a degree of operation freedom. Whatever is good the Banished, it is permissible."

He could see not the Sangheili's expression, but he was clenching his fist over the old Chieftain's persistence.

"Send your Brutes wherever you please," He slowly turned, "Their lives hold no meaning to me, unlike the Sangheili's."

"I appreciate your understanding, shipmaster."

He returned to the group, who seemed relieved, especially Pluk.

"Me not like him," The Grunt hissed, "Me not like that crazy assassin."

"The beacon back to the ship will always be with you, but do not stray too far, Tallius."

"Understood."

The warriors boarded the big, modified vessel through the gravity lift and the bay doors as the Chieftain watched, with Tallius and Pluk stepping in last. The ship rumbled and rose up. It passed through the energy barrier that separated the pressurized environment from the outside of the ship. Tallius encouraged his brethren, glad that he could take command on his own. Pluk wobbled about, curiously staying away from the other Unggoy.

"Will you not join your brothers, Pluk ?"

"They not too fond of me because they're soldiers," He said, "They like blowing stuff up, me like fixing things. What we going to do if we see humans, anyway?"

"What do you think, we give a them a feast ?" Tallius laughed darkly and so did his warriors.

…

The assembly area of Beacon Academy serves the purpose of hosting the dueling practice between its students. The glass-domed amphitheater hovered over the circular stage – it is like an arena, where students had gathered in curiosity and excitement to witness a duel between Cardin Winchester and someone named Sergey, whoever that one was. Someone stupid enough to pick a fight, they probably thought.

The Spartan, full suited up in his grey Semi-Powered Infiltration armor, marched down the stars to meet his opponent. His fellow Spartan tried to stop him. Troy grabbed him, angered beyond belief.

"I'm not letting you beat someone to death," Troy said, "I thought we finally agreed on something !"

"No one said about anything beating him to death," Sergey chuckled inside his helmet, "It's an official duel, you know. We're practicing. Besides, he started it. I wasn't even the one who punched him, but Claire can't really do much right now. Don't have a choice."

"You _do_ have a choice," Troy urged, "And what if you can't control yourself ?!"

"Relax, after all," He poked at the side of his helmet as a signal, "I've got a guardian angel to watch over me."

He snatched away from Troy's grasp, leaving him alone and flabbergasted in a middle of a crowd. All he could is make his way to the seat next to Team RWBY and their companions. He sat next to Ruby, who was surprisingly cheering on Sergey !

"Kick his butt, Sergey !" She yelled out towards the ring, waving her arms. Weiss Schnee's annoyance didn't cease, urging her leader to stay quiet as to not perhaps embarrass her. However, Ruby's sister joined the cheer.

"Yeah, beat 'im to a pulp !"

Don't encourage him, Troy thought.

"Would you two keep it down ?" Weiss asked, "This shouldn't even be happening, but someone couldn't keep his friends in check …" She finished that comment while glaring at Troy, who could only respond with a hopeless shrug. He held Sergey's knife in his hand. He gave it to the leader to keep during the duel, as a precaution. That, along with Yoko in his head, was probably the only hope of preventing a disaster at this point.

The two young fighters faced each other on the stage. The Cardin boy confidently held his mace over his shoulder, while the Spartan stood in a rather relaxed motion, stretching his right arm. The students stared at his strange armor and helmet. Perhaps this wasn't the norm to wear, he thought, but he couldn't back out now.

"This is very unfortunate." Yoko murmured in worry, her voice filling his head like usual.

"For me or him ?" Sergey asked cheekily.

"We have no idea what he's capable of," She rebuked him, "So I wouldn't be so confident, or you're no better than him."

"Big deal, one big mace – it's just like any Brute, I know how to deal with those."

Professor Goodwitch looked at Sergey, then at Cardin. Both were ready, and gave the go to commence. Cardin held his weapon at the ready, while the soldier got into a fighting stance with fists. The audience waited in anticipation at who would make the first move, but in the midst of this silence, they both charged at each other like mad bulls. Cardin had the advantage of range, though Sergey was slightly faster. As he ran, closing the distance between them, the Spartan tried to figure where the mace would strike. He was running out of time, unable to see an opening. He gave up on that, simply keeping up his speed-

"Sergey, dodge !"

He had chosen to ignore where the mace would hit, deciding to absorb the hit. He did, and it worked. The hit from Cardin's heavy weapon struck Sergey's right side, sending him sliding across the ring. He jumped back from the ground in an instant, more than half of his armor's energy shields had already fallen. He started counting in his head how long it would be before the shields went back up.

"Why didn't you dodge, you idiot ?" Yoko asked, trying not to scream.

"But that worked, didn't it ?"

The Spartan was sure now. The first hit was sort of test, as his right arm and shoulder stopped shaking after two seconds . He didn't feel much of the mace's strike in the first place, so he was sure of his victory. Cardin was fuller of himself than ever, believing that his first strike was a success wasn't, even though Sergey simply didn't fight back against it. Cardin ran with full force towards the Spartan again, but the soldier didn't move in return this time.

"Ready to loose, punk ?!" Winchester yelled, launching another slam from above … Sergey's shields went back up. He smiled.


	19. CHAP 15

Cardin Winchester was ready to crush his opponent like a bug, rising with his mace, ready to slam it down on the Spartan's head. Sergey's energy shields were already replenished, since he kept a mental note of how long it took. He had the opportunity to dodge his strike, but he chose to stand his ground.

He wanted try out a little move that Mark had thought of, but never went through with, so Sergey would beat him the punch. He put his hands up, hoping his shields and armor would absorb the impact of what would come. He grabbed the mace as it came down upon him with full speed. His shields went down. The ground around Sergey's feet cracked. Despite the force of the SPI armor's gauntlets, the Spartan felt pain travel through his body. However, it was the fuel he needed.

"W-what ?" Cardin exclaimed at the Spartan's action.

"Gotcha."

He pulled the mace aside, pulling himself closer to his enemy. He jumped head first into Cardin, letting the top of his helmet slam into Winchester's face. He grunted in pain as a result, but managed to take another swing at the soldier. Cardin was disoriented, allowing the Spartan to evade the hit in a roll, and then he broke away in a run. He circled around the big brute.

"This is strange," Yoko said, "It's like his mace is weightless. There's almost no resistance in the movement of his swings."

"Whatever his toy does, I'm gonna break it-

A shock wave from Cardin's weapon threw the Spartan off his feet as he smashed it in his direction. The boy wasted no time, pressing the attack by charging Sergey again. The tactile bracer armor pieces around the boots of the SPI suit improved his speed, so he pulled himself back and charged at Cardin in return.

They ran like mad bulls, but the brute attacked first, launching his mace at the other boy like a spear. The Spartan saw it, adjusting himself just enough to run past it. In these few seconds that followed, the mace scratched his shoulder, while the Gamma swung his arm at the boy's chest. Cardin winced from the force-amplified gauntlet struck his chest. Sergey didn't relent, using his other hand to strike his target's face.

As long as Cardin stood, it wasn't over. Sergey pummeled him with full force. His mind was fully concentrated on this, nothing else existed. A dozen hard punches came and went, but Cardin had one last swing left in him. The mace came at G005's right, but he punched it away without thought. He thought he could hear Yoko cry out for him, but that's not what mattered right now, because his arm hurt and it threw him off-balance.

He thought fast. He couldn't allow Cardin to get a grip, so the soldier threw himself at him. Both fell to the ground, with Sergey on top. Enraged, he continued to pummel Cardin with his fists. The burnt-orange haired boy's silver grey chest armor was cracking apart. He almost wanted to reach for his knife, but he remembered that he gave it to Troy. Clarity was coming back to him. He felt his energy slip away with each strike.

"Sergey, stop !"

It was Yoko's voice. That could be the only thing that was capable of bringing him back. He looked at his hands, then the shattered and wailing Cardin Winchester. He stood up and then looked at the crowd. He mostly saw shock in people's faces, with some astonishment sprinkled in here and there. Glynda Goodwitch, the scary blonde, stood with her arms crossed and eyed him up.

"This is a training match, young Sergey," Her words felt heavy and so did her tone, "Did you intend to kill Mr. Winchester ?

" _Well, no, I kept my promise,_ " He thought to himself, " _He's not dead_."

"You know, I'm pretty angry," Yoko's motherly scorn rang inside his helmet, "But I can't say I'm surprised."

Glynda gestured for him to come along with her, so he did. To his surprise, he looked at the murmuring crowd again, and the blonde girl of Team RWBY seemed to be the only one smiling.

" _Hell yeah !_ " She cheered before, he remembered. Maybe not all of them were so bad, after all. She was definitely the rowdy type, and much more appealing than the annoying white-haired princess.

…

It wasn't very difficult to find remnants of those who didn't survive the sudden transportation to this unknown world. The Lich dropship had stopped to examine the sights of some other transports that had crashed. Some of it was salvaged for Pluk. They met more of those strange dark creatures, but it was equally easy to destroy those, at least from a distance. Now, Tallius examined the dead body of the scout known as Kryckus that Mardus sent to investigate the sight of the Spartans and other potential humans, back when they first ended up in this forest. He never returned, but they didn't do anything about it.

" _He was shot down_ ," Tallius remarked as he examined the hole in Kryckus' head, " _It seems as thought he was caught by surprise._ "

However, Kryckus' chest armor was cracked. He was fighting alone and was outmatched. Tallius could faintly smell human blood around this area. In the distance, he thought he heard some kind of rumbling in the sky. He used the gravity lift to return inside the Lich, Pluk was still keeping to himself in the corner.

"We've caught something," A fellow Jiralhanae reported, "It's a ship."

"How far is it ?

"It has crossed the mountains. It seems to intend to pass through this forest on the way to its destination. If we head off now, we can reach it soon enough."

"Then we will do so," Tallius commanded and turned to the rest of his pack, "We may find something useful yet, be they humans or not, crush them !"

A resounding cry erupted and the Lich accelerated towards the target. Tallius confronted the lone engineer Pluk, who was murmuring.

"Something strange, something strange … " He said. " No humans come to shoot us yet. They know, usually, then rockets come. Nothing yet, how strange."

"They must be trembling, then," Tallius confidently said, "They must have no defenses ready. Either way, we have a ship to greet."

"Oh, oh, hope that's true … "

Tallius' warriors were rowdy in the past hour that the Lich dropship flew, while the Unggoy Heavies snickered among themselves. Finally, the pilot called out for Tallius. The holographic viewscreen showed the ship in the distance. The vessel was slim, with an arrow-shaped hull. Many spines hung from the ship's sides. Tallius had never seen a human ship such as this. It was bulky like others, but it was still strange in appearance. As they got closer, he also noticed the lack of slipspace engines. No matter, as it was time to get to work.

"We'll aim for the view port, then the engines," Tallius issued orders, "We can then breach it and take care of the crew."

"Oh, something strange, something strange …"

 _Ara ara, an Atlas character is coming. A new challenger._


	20. MEMORY 5 : G295

**2554**

 **Colony of Hellas**

The Spartans of Gamma Company were not meant for prolonged life, but for sacrifice. Like their predecessors, they would die for humanity's sake, going unnamed and forgotten, unlike the S-II class that basked in glory from their monumental achievements. Because of that, the UNSC – ONI, more precisely, struggles to decide on what to do with them. All that was left what to make as much use out of them as they could in the post-war galaxy, one way in which this was achieved was the Headhunter program.

It was the appropriate position for Claire-G295. She was adept at hunting alone. In the night, she was huddled in rubble of Hellas' cities, one of so many scarred worlds in the aftermath of the war. It used to be a hot spot for Insurrectionists. However, after the Covenant war in which the planet was attacked, a small group of Insurrectionists associated with the United Rebel Front returned to use Hellas as an operating base.

Claire was dropped on the ground through an orbital drop pod, with one goal; kill their leader. In the darkness, however, she could once again only think about one thing. She couldn't sleep because of it. The sight of a destroyed colony only reminded her of the horrible day fate had decided that should live out the rest of her life as a soldier.

The sky burned. It could only be described as hell. She cried out for her mother, but she wasn't sure if that was a fact anymore. The Spartan training had seemingly made her forget that day, burying it forever within her mind. But the image of the burning sky of her home was enough to torment her. She didn't remember her colony's name and had no desire to look for it.

So, she simply didn't sleep on prolonged missions. It was easier. She spent the night looking at the starry sky, which was a calming site.

" _If you ever need consolation, look at the night sky._ " Lucy-B091 had once told her. The survivor of Beta Company was someone she looked up to. She and Kurt gave her a purpose beyond the destruction of the Covenant that wiped away her life. She had a new life.

The day came. The lone Spartan Headhunter made her away across the ruins, searching for prey. She stood upon the roof of a tall building, overlooking the sight of the Insurrectionist camp. The automatic magnification of her helmet allowed her to observe the camp closely. Around the Covenant-style shuttle and former UNSC transport ship, groups of humans and Kig-Yar were facing each other. Crates of high-grade weapons were huddled around. A deal was being made, but the Kig-Yar had no reason to care who they were selling their stock to. She hadn't expected this. She made a head count; Five Jackals, six humans.

But it didn't matter. The Spartan took out the powerful SRS99 series sniper rifle from her back, positioning herself. From the roof, she aimed at the leading human, as that was the priority. He must've been in his early forties. He was talking with what was probably the leader of the Kig-Yar group who possessed pronounced feathers.

All one had to do was to shoot and kill. She had the man in her scope. Her rifle screech as pulled the trigger while the man's head was blown open. The others in the meeting were startled. The men rushed to the dead man, while the Kig-Yar were screeching in panic. She gave them no time to compose themselves, the Jackal leader was shot through his eye.

The leaders were dead, but their flock remained. She put back her rifle, preparing to climb down the building, but not in the slow way. She let herself slide down the wall. She was falling like a brick, but she pushed herself away. While in the air, the active camouflage of her SPI armor's photoreactive panels turned on. With a hard impact, she shattered the ground upon her landing. There should have been nine targets left, but her motion tracker only showed five dots. It became clear when the Kig-Yar shuttle began lifting off with a loud sound of its engines.

While hiding around crates, she saw one of the rebels with a panicked face and an MA5D assault rifle in front of her, but he couldn't see her yet. She spun around herself and kicked the man to ground, he dropped his rifle. She revealed herself before him. He was disoriented and scared. She took the Tactical Magnum from attached to her hip and ended his fear with a precise shot to the head.

Four humans remained. She went ahead and saw the four men heading off to their transport, but a flash of light blinded her for a moment. A slight shock wave erupted as the ship was shot down from above. The Kig-Yar pummeled it with plasma fire, leaving smoke behind, but the Jackal ship flew away in a panic.

The four rebels had nowhere left to go. She made sure they noticed her standing before them. One of them held an M41 SPNKR rocket launcher that he grabbed from the weapon's crates.

"Die, die !" He yelled out and unleashed the first round.

She had a trick up her sleeve. The distance between her the rocket would close in five seconds. In two seconds, she launched Z-4190 bubble shield. In the next two, it formed and enclosed her. In the last second, the rocket exploded upon the shield. What the men saw was only smoke, but a fragmentation grenade was thrown at them.

Two of them were quicker, but the explosion of the grenade threw the slow ones up. Their limp and bloodied bodies soon hit the ground. Claire emerged again, walking at a leisurely pace towards the two insurrectionists that remained. One unloaded his own pistol at her out of desperation, but the three rounds only barely made a dent in her shields. He was horrified to be out of ammo, but now it was her turn. She put two shots in his chest, then at this forehead.

Only one remained. The men in his late thirties looked at her for a moment with wraith in his eyes. She wondered what he felt at being unable to see her detached expression through her faceplate. He held a syringe with his hand with an orange liquid that injected his shoulder with. It was the Rumbledrug, a substance used by rebels to increases the person's strength and resilience. It was comparable to her own Gamma augmentations.

He threw himself at her, weaponless and screaming. She blocked his attempt by grabbing his arm, she twisted it. However, the drug made him fight on. She hit him with full force in the chest with her other arm. She let go, letting him fall to his knees. She spit blood, gasping heavily.

"Y-you goddamn Spartans," He could barely speak, "You're no … no better than the Covenant ... "

She felt nothing at these words. She was prepared to end it all with him, but suddenly, he stopped moving before she took the shot. He had collapsed, the life drained from his eyes.

She was done. Now, she had nothing to shoot, thus nothing to make her mind go blank just the way she wanted. She looked up, but it was the only ash grey sky that she could see now. To see the starry sky from a world's surface again, she would wait for the next task given to her.

" _Mission complete."_

 _..._

 _Double updates today, cuz I like to take two loads in a row_

 _wait that's not right_


	21. CHAP 16

If there was one flaw that was most annoying among the airships of the Atlas fleet, it was their horrendously slow speed. Of course, it was because of their sizeable shape. That was a requirement in order to transport the assets of the Kingdom's military. In this case, the ship B-17 made it's through the lonely Emerald Forest with a deadly batch of new prototype weapons stored inside it. They were entrusted in the care of the ship's important passenger; Leon Türkis.

But Ensign Mara wasn't particularly invested in this mission that posed no challenges. There were meant to deliver the cargo to a post at Sanus, along with the Specialist. That was all. Mara and the rest of the crew, however, were intrigued by Leon. He was certainly the type to attract attention.

"We'll be passing quietly through Vale," The bookworm Ensign Eli remarked near her at one of the several workstations, "Just like they said. M-must be important cargo."

Yet Mara wasn't really listening. She passed the time by staring at the main computer at first, but now she looked over the woods.

"You seem to be lost in thought, Ensign," A voice from behind awoke her, "But this isn't a cruise."

"Y-yes, sir," She hastily turn and snapped into a quick salute, "I'm sorry, Lieutenant."

Mara never saw any Specialists before, but she didn't think they wore the uniform of a standard military officer like Türkis did. In contrast to the usual white, his was pure red with a saber hanging off his hip. The most striking feature was his headgear. He wore a polished silver helmet, with a raised ridge that ran from between the eyes to the back of his head. It fit around his head to show his face, yet his eyes were covered by a visor that hid the eyes with featureless and white trapezium shapes. She could not see the expression in his eyes, but only what seemed like a coy smile. Although, some of his lengthy auburn hair was visible, strands of it just tipped his shoulders.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't glad to be out of Commander Cordovin's reach, but it seems I have another mission coming up at Vacuo."

B-17 was in dock at Argus as usual before Commander Caroline Cordovin had picked the ship full of younger enlisted personnel on an irregular transport mission of the Lieutenant and the weapons. While traveling, their communications would be disabled. There were not meant to ask any questions and leave immediately once they dropped off the load at Vacuo, but Mara had assumed the cargo to be another model of Knights, which wasn't surprising. As for Cordovin, she truly was not the most hospitable kind of person, unlike the Lieutenant. There was a running joke among the older officer staff that the old and short woman was placed at Argus so that no one at the capital would have to deal with her.

"If I may ask, sir," She spoke bashfully, "Because we're keeping a low profile, why was this ship picked for the task ?"

"Are you against it ?"

"N-no, it's just that I assumed the Specialists had their own way of doing things …"

"I don't believe that being a part of the Special Operatives gives me privileges," He spoke firmly, "Like you, I am a part of our military. Besides, you were the only ship and crew ready to be deployed."

The Lieutenant imposed himself, silently watching over the crew members. Mara could somehow tell that he was lost in thought himself now.

"I've had this unusual feeling, like a premonition," The masked man suddenly said, "Maybe this is an effect of this forest, and the Grimm."

"Come to think of it, we're not that far from Beacon," Ensign Eli adjusted his glasses and remarked, "I heard they do the initiations here. Isn't that dangerous ?"

"Certainly, considering that the trainees are young, but it helps to root out the ones not fit enough to be trained for the life of a Huntsman."

The lieutenant's words made Mara ponder if he and the other Specialists had to go through similar trials back in Atlas' Academy. They seemed like impressive people, but to her, the presence of Huntsmen and Huntresses didn't seem to make a substantial change in the world. She wanted to ask him about his training, but got distracted by some sort of buzzing sound that came from outside the ship. Concerned, she tried to focus on it, but the others reacted alongside her as an alarm blurred out from one of the workstations.

"Unidentified object approaching," A crewman reported, "It's fast-

Without warning, the ship violently rocked to the side, as if something had struck it. Mara almost lost her balance, but the Lieutenant secured by intercepting her small frame by the shoulders.

"What's going on ?"

"O-one of the engines is destroyed," Eli reported through a panic tone, "The object's circling around us ! It's-

Eli stopped, agape, staring at the view port. The rest of the bridge followed suit, giving their attention the identified object. It was no Grimm, but what seemed like another airship that was comparable to the Atlasian gunship in size. It hovered around with remarkable flexibility, confronting the bridge head on. From this position, it was possible to make out the ship's rusty, dark hull. It was covered with splashes of decaying crimson. Its strange shape made it appear as less than a ship, but a mechanized beast.

"W-what is that ?" Mara whispered.

"I've never seen a ship like that … " Eli continued.

"Evasive actions, now !" The Lieutenant commanded, pulling the crew out of their shock. In haste, the bridge crew tried to pull B-17 out of the hostile ship's way, but it couldn't hope to match its speed, especially as an engine was trashed.

"They're picking off the laser batteries !"

A light erupted out of the monstrous ship's face. Mara was blinded, but felt a reflex to duck. A swarm of noises invaded the command bridge – Broken glass, followed by sparks and ending with screams. She slowly pulled herself up through the smoke that amassed in the bridge. Its right side was blown apart, leaving a hole leading to the outside sky. She saw bodies of fellow crewmen, most of them burned.

"H-hey, Mara," Eli, "Get it together, come on !"

The fuzzy brown-haired young man pulled his fellow wide-eyed Ensign out of her sheer shock. In the distance, the enemy ship disappeared. They saw that the Lieutenant was unscathed, leaning next to a body of a passed crewman by the door. Another figure rushed into the bridge, the gunnery sergeant Burton. The helmetless man in the infantry armor with the yellow marks was clearly looking for Türkis.

"Türkis," The man with the heavy facial hair yelled in urgency, "They're trying to get in from behind !"

"How ?"

"They're about to slice open the damn walls, that's how," He looked over the carnage for a moment, "They're not far from the cargo hold, can't we-

"Even if they're here for the 290s, protecting the crew comes first."

The Lieutenant looked over the few trembling remaining bridge crew members, including Eli and Mara, "I suppose this won't be a low profile mission anymore. You should arm yourselves."

…

Leon's first thought was that this was not supposed to happen under these circumstances. No one should've been aware of where B-17 was going, much less being able to catch it on the rather long and irregular route that was chosen specifically for that reason. The destination of the mission was communicated to only the crew of B-17, but the only one aboard who knew why they were heading off to Vacuo was Leon himself.

He considered that perhaps something had occurred on Argus to allow this situation to transpire, but it seemed unlikely. It didn't matter right now, since they had unwanted visitors.

"The new toys you brought onboard better be worth it," He heard Burton's gruff voice, "Or I'm not getting paid enough for this. The Fang sure don't know when to give up."

"I don't believe it's the White Fang," Leon hypothesized due to his own strange feeling, "That ship isn't normal, nor is it any model I recognize."

"We'll ask 'em about it later." He pulled out his pump shotgun with high-velocity Dust shells. The rest of the few dozen troopers faced the emergency hatch with crates as cover, firearms ready. The bridge crew members were farther behind. He made a head count; twenty, which should be enough. Behind him, Leon felt the shuddering presence of Ensign Mara. He readied his own high-powered flintlock.

Burton had said that the attackers tried to slam open the hatch before with multiple unsuccessful attempts. Now, the tense silence dragged on, but then a high-pitched sound came. The intruders were cutting through the sealed hatch with some kind of tool. A horizontal burnt mark was slowly forming, which would cut it in two.

"As soon as they come through, let 'em have it." Burton commanded. The cutting stopped, bringing back the silence. The entrance cracked ever so slight, and through the crack, Leon noticed another smaller, yet still shining green light forming. He knew what would happen; he saw what happened at the bridge. Burton called out for a smoke grenade to be thrown in front the hatch.

Leon yelled for everyone to get back as the smoke formed, but a sort of _whump_ brought with it a destructive blast that smashed the entrance and sent some of its pieces straight into two men who didn't get out of the way. The attackers continued their momentum by firing first. A hail of intense colorful fire barraged the area. The pinned down Atlasians returned fire. Leon rushed behind a crate. With horror, he watched three men decimated by blue and green fire. They were not hit by solid objects, as it burned through their armor with ease.

From the smoke, Leon could finally see a figure emerge. He couldn't have imagined this sort of sight. The five feet tall creature with dark grey coarse skin walked on its three-toed feet with the aid of its oversized forearms with an exotic, small firearm in hand. It wore light crimson armor on its chest, along with what he could only describe as a backpack.

The creature faced him. A sort of gas mask covered its mouth. It hissed at him, ready to burn him as well, but Leon was ready. The powerful bullet pierced the small enemy's head as it out a whimper. Its bright blue blood splashed on the floor.

"You bastards !"

Gunnery sergeant Burton jumped out of his cover, followed by two of his comrades. The blast of his shotgun blew open the chest of another masked creature. Their triumphant charge wouldn't last, as the man to Burton's right side would have his head blown apart by a pinkish, needle-like shot. The other man soldier followed suit, the needles piercing his shells before exploding on impact.

Leon rushed the last man who continued to fire his shotgun. He grunted as a needle pierced his shoulder, but he continued to fire into the smoke with his other arm. Leon dashed, pushing Burton behind a crate.

"Lieutenant !"

Mara crawled to them through the fire, rushing to Burton. Leon knew that their numbers were dropping fast, but a line of defense still kept returning fire. Leon felt something, feeling the urge to look over. He heard a raging roar, like that of a mad animal, and that seemed exactly what the other creature was.

It rushed out of the smoke, swigging a mighty intricate and oversized hammer. The stocky, grey-furred giant rushed towards a group of three troopers whose fire wasn't enough to stop the monster's advance. The hammer's sheer weight was enough, smashing them to pieces. The last man jammed his knife into the furry monster, yet it broke against its armor. The animal grabbed the screaming man, crushing his chest with its thick claws.

Leon jumped at the opportunity and unloaded his flintlock. The three rounds managed to damage the enemy's chest armor, turning its attention to the Specialist. Dropping the victim's limp body, it charged towards him.

The Lieutenant anticipated the strike, pulling out his double-edged saber. With grace, he flew over the hit that would've crushed his body and sent him flying. He caught a glimpse of its ugly face and sharp teeth. He made his strike, slashing his blade across its face, letting purplish-red splatter. He landed on his feet while his target screamed in pain and rage.

Leon wouldn't be given time to attack again. His body suddenly jerked, as if gravity was acting on its own. His body was violently pushed aside by another assailant. He flew head first into a pack of crates. He didn't feel like he could move, he was loosing track of what was happening, but it seemed as though the firing began to stop. The smoke had long since cleared. He thought he could see Ensign Mara, still alive.

…

The sky burns with a hellish red hue. The world on which she lived was crumbling to pieces, destroyed by invaders. People ran for their lives, while she lost in the crowd alone. She remembered how the little girl cried for her mother, her father. She kept crying, until a purging, blinding white is brought down from the sky.

" _No !"_

Claire awoke from the regular nightmare while realizing out that single word, rising up in a cold sweat. She heard a high-pitched yelp, realizing that the girl known as Ruby Rose had been sitting next to her while she was asleep. It was dark now.

"W-what," The drooling girl in red was alarmed, "O-oh, you're awake …"

Claire felt lost. She didn't know how long she was sleeping for, but she assumed it was for a few hours. Her memory was fuzzy.

"Are you feeling alright ?"

She slowly nodded as an affirmative. Troy must've given her the Smoother, she remembered. Speaking of which, she realized they were nowhere to be seen as she looked around.

"Yeah, so," She hesitated, "Sergey got into a fight with the guy you punched. You know, that was kinda scary, but you did help Velvet. Troy's gonna be here soon, though."

She visibly shrugged at the revelation of Sergey's fight. She didn't remember that guy she let out her rage at the dining hall, but she did vaguely recall the Velvet girl and her rabbit ears. All of a sudden, her stomach growled. She tried to not pay attention to it, but Ruby wouldn't.

"Oh, right !" She exclaimed, "I got you this. You must be hungry."

She pulled out a neat, perfectly made and delectable looking sandwich. She was surprised. Usually, she only ate as per protocol, when it was allowed, and it was usually uneventful. It was simply a part of her life. She slowly accepted it, taking a bite.

"You know," Ruby continued, yet sheepishly, "I thought that maybe if you're feeling good tomorrow too, I can take out to show you around. I thought it'd be boring to stay in your room every day."

Ruby Rose kept surprising Claire. She stared at this girl for a moment, unsure of what to do. Hanging out with someone ? How could she really do that ? However, she decided to remove any constraints for this time. She nodded as a yes.

"Well, that's good," Rose smiled, "Well, I guess I should go. Anything you need ?"

"… Thank you."

Ruby didn't expect her to talk after all this time, but she gave the girl in bed another smile.

"No problem."

 _For Leon's helmet, think of Char Aznable._


	22. MEMORY 6 : Paladin Of Red

Ever since the emergence of the new, violent White Fang, it had become a thorn in Atlas' side. The radical faction spread themselves across Remnant; doing everything they could to hamper Atlas and the Schnee Dust Company's operations. In return, the Kingdom's military took steps evolve. Although standard soldiers were still in use, they acted more as reserves and shields, while the so-called Knights acted as the sword.

But the Knights were not always so effective. A model of mechanized battle-suit would be built to make full use of a human pilot's intuition. However, in order to field test its capabilities without openly sending other Kingdoms into paranoia over Atlas' strength, a secretive mission is issued to hunt down a sect of White Fang located in the Kingdom of Mistral.

…

"I don't get it," The ragged-haired Macky said, "Didn't we give them a whole island to live on ? Instead of causing trouble for us, they could just all go live there."

"I think being shoved into one island for the rest of their lives isn't such a lovely idea," The bearded Hush pondered, "The only choice for the Fang is to fight. If people won't listen to them, I suppose that's how they see it.

"Don't see how blowing up Dust trains solves anything, but I guess I've never tried."

The young, hotshot Macky and the aged, mellow Hush had somewhat hit it off despite meeting only recently. Their conversations aboard the airship near Argus passed the time before the mission began. They were brought together into a small experimental team, along with two other members. The third member met them in the hangar with a disapproving look.

"You two look like you're on vacation," Nina said, "You're about to drop into a whole nest of Fang."

Macky was very much fond of the somewhat tall freckled redhead, but he wasn't subtle about it. "Honestly, every trip with you must be a vacation, sweetheart. It's a shame you'll only be watching us over from above."

"I'm flattered," She said sardonically, "Maybe you're just scared that I'm the one who's probably gonna have to save your ass when you're in a pinch down there."

"W-well, it's not like I mind, anyway," He tried to play it off, "Say, there's this neat café back in Argus I know about, so why don't we go there when we get back ?"

"Who knows, maybe I'll think about it," She wasn't really taking the idea seriously, but Mackey couldn't tell, "Depends on how good you do today."

"Wait, really-

"Where's the Lieutenant ?" Hush interjected.

"There, he's with the Secretary."

The leader of the experimental battle-suit squad, Leon Türkis, was speaking with the shrewd Secretary (assistant to President Jacques Schnee) who was present as a liaison of the Schnee Dust Company, as it was involved in the development of the Paladin-290. The three units assigned to the mission were standing in the hangar, still in prototype grey coloring. These particular models were the Paladin-290R, which was equipped with thrusters in their backs for additional mobility, especially useful for the muddy terrain they would be fighting in today. Macky's suit was equipped with the SDC-MP Paladin Bazooka, while Hush's unit possessed the Giant Axe, a close-quarters weapon whose blade was ten meters in size and was meant to cut down large objects like ships.

However, one of the suits stood out more than the other two, the Paladin-290R Commander Type meant for the Lieutenant as acting leader. It had a "horn" on top of its cockpit that acted a communication antenna between squad members, but the most striking feature was its complete crimson paintjob unique to Leon. Presumably, it was Leon's suggestion, as judging from his Atlas officer uniform which was in red instead of the standard white, he enjoyed the color.

"Oh, great, what's the deal with that guy ? With that paintjob, it's like he wants to get shot." Macky said.

"He's a Huntsman, a Specialist, not a grunt like the three of us," Hush affirmed, "He's probably confident that he won't get hit at all."

"Okay, but what's up with his head gear, then ?"

"I guess he has the flair for the dramatic."

"Maybe," Nina watched the masked man with an amused smile, "Still, I think I'd like to take a peek at that face."

"Oh, come on … This ain't happening … "

"Maybe women have a liking for the mysterious type. Only thing mysterious about you is how you managed to get in this team in the first place," Hush laughed and reassured the younger man with a tap on the back, "There's plently of fish in the sea, you know."

"Hilarious … "

…

"I hope you realize that the 290R's thrusters are potentially unstable when pushed further," The Secretary stated, "Especially when this was initially your idea. Even with the added speed and mobility, the Dust used as fuel is volatile in this model."

"I'm aware of the risks, but for the sake of the field test, I'm going to use the Paladin to its full extent in combat so that any mistakes may be corrected in the future."

"You were quite an adequate choice for the Paladin testing program, especially when you're fully willing to destroy the enemy to prove the capabilities of this machine."

"You get the wrong impression. I wish to only to hamper their ability to fight and to force them to surrender. I'd like to avoid unnecessary bloodshed."

"It's foolish to expect such a thing when dealing with the White Fang," The Secretary said coldly, "Negotiations with them are fruitless efforts."

"Is that true, or have we never even tried to reason with them ?"

"These are not your concerns. You must bring those animals to justice, as is your duty as a soldier of Atlas. I wish you luck on your mission."

Justice was universal, Leon thought as he was alone. His duty as a soldier of Atlas was simply to protect his home Kingdom's interests, while his duty as a Huntsman was to protect people from Grimm. His duty as a human being was to recognize that justice must be served to those among the White Fang who committed terrible crimes. The rest were not purely evil like the Grimm, so there was always a possibility of a compromise.

…

"The sect of the White Fang known as the Wolf Brigade have made their home in marshes and dense swampy woods close to the city of Kuchinashi," Leon explained the situation to his teammates, "They're armed with some of our stolen weaponry and that of Mistral's people, but it's believed that they also obtain supplies from Kuchinashi itself. There was some unusual activity here in Argus lately – including the tampering with the Dust supply trains, which makes officials believe that the Wolf Brigade is planning an attack on Argus itself."

"Just them ?" Macky asked, "Don't the Fang help each other out ?"

"The White Fang is separated across the world," Leon said, "They don't always get the opportunity to communicate between each other, or perhaps they have conflicting interests. Whatever the case, the Wolves are on their own."

"Barging on their doorstep with the Paladins isn't exactly subtle," Hush remarked, "They'll see us coming from a mile away, especially when we're using the gunship."

"That's when I come in," Nina smiled confidently; "My gunship's the bulkier version that's supposed to transport Dust crates, but it'll carry you two and the Lieutenant in your Paladins instead."

"W-wait, seriously ? It's not like the Paladins can fly."

"They can't, Macky," She said, "You'll drop feet first right in the middle of them. They won't expect that."

"I understand your fears, Private," Leon referred to Macky, "But the Paladins can handle the fall just fine. And I trust the Corporal's capabilities as a pilot. And you, Sergeant, do you have any objections ?"

"In my age, all I have to worry about is not pass out from the pressure of high enough fall like that," Hush answered the man's inquiry with a chuckle, "It sounds wild, but I'm all in."

"Very well, but I'll let you all know that I wish to minimize the damages. We simply have to incapacitate them, not massacre them. If a target surrenders, then you'll act no further."

"Sure, boss," Macky shrugged, "It'd be pretty stupid to fight back against those huge things, anyway. It ain't the Knights they're dealing with."

…

Sino found peace in spending time alone in these swamps. She stood atop a tree, the rain pouring down her cloak from the dark sky. She made her routine trip to Kuchinashi for some supplies again. It was time to return to camp, but lately, she took her time to wonder if she should come back at all.

She had time to think about the situation. Her band was alone for a long time, left to arm themselves and figure out how they would act. They resorted to raids, often loosing some of their own kind.

Sino, who was unofficially considered to be the second-in-command of the Wolf Brigade, slowly crawled back home and felt hopeless.

"You're saying we should run away ?"

The middle-aged Dakar led the Wolves and acted as a sort of father-figure to Sino, so she felt he could hear her out, especially when his health seemed to be getting worse.

"Call it what you like, but is Argus worth it ? Is that even what Sienna wants ?"

"She gave me the ability to act on my own volition in the benefit of the White Fang," He said before coughing again, "And I believe that in time, you'll have to lead the wolfpack yourself."

Her second set of ears twitched at the proposition. "You shouldn't talk that way. I couldn't go on with this."

She ended up leaving Dakar's tent without achieving anything, including trying to force him to abandon a hopeless plan. Dakar cared for his band, but he'd gotten too stubborn. She looked around the camp, observing her gloomy young comrades that she held dear, those who looked for the White Fang as a new home like her after theirs was destroyed. Most of the older members closer to Dakar were gone. Another girl excitedly ran up to hug her, her head barely reaching Sino's chest.

"T-Tanuki ?"

Tanuki looked up at her with eagerness - her furry tail with the colors of tan, brown and black, flailing around. She was scarred across the face, a scorch mark, but it could be mistaken for a tattoo.

"Check it out, I've got some new toys," She pulled out two balls with the size of apples, "New bombs. I mashed the fire and wind together Dust when we hit that train. I'm pretty sure these are strong enough to blow up a building !"

"I see," She held one of the bombs, it was heavy, "You're as crafty as always."

"Is Dakar feeling any better ?

"I'm not sure."

She said that, but the truth was that Dakar's health was getting worse.

"We're still going to Argus, right ?"

Sino wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't tell what Tanuki was feeling on the subject. She wondered if it was possible to convince Tanuki and the other younger members that the Wolf Brigade was failing and that the rest of the White Fang had no intentions to help them. She crouched down to Tanuki's level, putting her hand on the smaller girl's shoulder.

"Tanuki, listen … I-

Sino suddenly intercepted a sound, distant but disctint up above. Tanuki listened closely as well.

"Hey, Sino, do you hear that ?"

They listened closer in silence as it seemed to be closer. Sino's heart sank as she was sure that it was the roar of engines. She made a run towards one of the camp's lookout nest stationed up in the taller trees. She grabbed Tanuki and pulled out her signature sickle, throwing it across the tree and sending her flying to get on top.

"W-why can't you tell me when you do that ?" Tanuki breathed, " … Is that a ship ?"

The form of an Atlas gunship was visible through some of its lights, descending closer to the camp. It was much larger than usual, as it seemed to be carrying something.

"Get the flare ready."

Tanuki urgently grabbed her makeshift signal flare gun, firing it off. The sound indicated that they were finally found.

…

There was no delay between Nina's call and the drop. As expected, due to the Gunship rapidly flying close enough to the enemy camp and the size of their machines, Leon felt for a moment like his body was going to shatter. However, he made the landing in the marshes, his teammates followed suit and the ground shook from their descent.

"Ah, damn it," Macky sounded like he was going to throw up, "Shouldn't have ate right before-

A shot bounced off Macky's Paladin from the dense trees in front of them. The Wolves were using stolen Atlas stationary cannons, but they only pushed back the large machine ahead of them. Macky pointed his SDC-MP Bazooka strapped on his machine's right arm at the source of fire.

"Eat this !"

"Macky !" Leon urged him, "Fire above them, that should just scare them off !"

"Oh _, fine !_ "

The Bazooka's massive shot blew apart the tall trees into small pieces an instant. Leon could see that the Fang were running further into the swampy woods and back to their home base. The three Atlas soldiers fired up their 290R's thrusters and followed them.

Their increased speed allowed them to follow the Wolves with ease. Hush swung his Giant Axe across a particularly tall tree; the kinetic energy of his swing sent it flying at the Fang, scattering them further.

But the Faunus were running on purpose. In the dark, Leon could see dozens and dozens of them firing pointlessly with hijacked firearms at the Paladins. They weren't wearing masks, allowing him to see the panic and confusion on their faces, especially upon seeing Leon's red battle-suit. They were using their wooden huts and barricades as cover. They prepared the cannons they had left, but the rumble of Nina's gunship interjected as she quickly flew over the Fang, then back up again. She had dropped smoke bombs upon the enemy.

The Paladins activated their laser sights, they were imperfect, but they gave a rough estimation of where a given target. Leon gave the order; the Paladins unleashed a volley of the missiles stored on top of them into the fog. The firing from the Wolves ceased as they were urging each other to fall back, while the others were incapacitated.

"Guess the job ain't finished yet," Macky gloated, "I'm going in."

"Macky, wait !" Hush tried to warn him, but the Private rushed into the fog. Leon and Hush followed him. They observed their surroundings, noticing that not much remained of the camp. But Leon suddenly heard a loud explosion. Macky grunted as his battle-suit's left leg was hit, followed by a blast on his right shoulder.

With his laser sights, Leon spotted a figure. Then, he saw it with his own eyes. The Faunus hidden in a long dark cloak had attached herself onto Macky's backed with what must've been some sort of rope or a chain, sending herself flying over him before chugging an explosive into the right shoulder of Macky's machine.

"Dammit, I can't hit him !" Macky cried as he tried to smash with one of his semi-collapsible mechanical fists, but she circled around him like a fly using her tool. Leon tried to aim at the figure with his cannons, as did Hush, but he couldn't get a clear shot. As Macky frantically tried to hit them, the figure threw themselves again in the air to throw one last bomb at the young man's exposed Dust-powered thrusters. His unit's burst into a violent burst of fire before he collapsed, yelling in panic.

"Hush, get him out of there !" Leon ordered and Hush indented to pull the Private out of his battle-suit. The fog had started to dissipate, but he lost track of the cloaked attacker. Leon felt something harshly tug at his right shoulder, instantly deducing it to be the attacker's tool. He spun around, hoping to disorient the enemy, but he instead received a bomb at point-blank range at his cockpit.

He was blinded. His Paladin fell on its knees. He considered the only thing he could do and stepped out of his suit, standing on top of it. He took a moment to breathe and feel the environment around him to detect the precense of another soul.

" _Behind me_ ," He thought as he heard the rattling of metal and quickly turned his rusty saber in hand. A sickle attached to a chain – that's what it was, the end of the sickle slashed across the front of his mask. The shining silver head gear went flying, leaving Leon's face exposed.

But he could see his attacker now as the fog became even clearer, standing over him, who was exposed as well. The young woman with the grayish furry ears was truly a wolf - the predatory hazel eyes stared at him with killing intent, ready to swing her sickle again. He concentrated again, focusing on her Aura. He wanted to end this.

…

Sino stared at her opponent in confusion – the opponent who controlled the crimson mechanical monster wore an equally red uniform himself that she'd never seen before. The same went for his helmet she had knocked off from which the person's long auburn hair was unleashed.

She only called them a person because she wasn't sure if she could describe her enemy as a feminine man or a masculine woman. It seemed to be the former, but it still threw her off. One thing was certain, his Aura was encompassing. It felt as if he could read her through his shining dark-blue eyes. She gripped her weapon tightly.

"This isn't necessary," He spoke with a soft, yet firm tone, "We aren't trying to kill anyone."

She lunged at him. She used the chain to make him fall, letting her jump on top with the end of he sickle pointed at his throat. He made no effort to resist, simply fixing his gaze on her in deep thought. She felt his Aura radiate over her again, and she hated it.

"You didn't want to fight anymore, didn't you ? I can feel it, but I can't tell … Are you still here because of someone else, or for yourself ?"

She wanted to shut him up for good, but she couldn't really deny any of that. She backed away. While the other Atlas soldier would be busy trying to rescue his comrade that Sino paralyzed, she would have time to reunite with Tanuki. She instructed the younger girl to bring Dakar with her. She looked back at the man one last time.

"Don't think that I'm thankful for any of this," She covered herself with her hood and disappeared into the forest.

…

"S-Sino …" Tanuki tightly clung to her in tears, "Dakar, he's …

Dakar's resisting place would be against one of the tallest tress in the marshes. The sun had risen by now, illuminating Dakar's calm expression.

"Did he say anything ?"

"H-He said … " Tanuki was still sobbing, "He said that you're going to make it all better."

Perhaps Dakar had realized that the Wolf Brigade's end was inevitable, but if he meant that she would have to continue the fight for the White Fang, she couldn't accept it.

"Listen, Tanuki," She caressed Tanuki's big furry ears, "We're going to have to find ourselves a home. We won't go back to the Fang, but if that's what you want, then I can't force you."

"N-No, let's stay together," She regained her composure, "What about the others ?"

"I can't force them either. They're either going to keep running or keep fighting alongside Adam Taurus now, but that's their choice."

"Then where should we go ?"

"Anywhere safe, but I guess we don't have a lot of options …"

Sino thought about the strange, remorseful Atlas soldier in red again. If nothing else, it was because of him that she could at least save Tanuki's life.

…

Standing on top of the wall surrounding the port city of Argus, Leon watched the sun rise over the terrain. Nina was with him, but Hush and Macky were elsewhere. Macky was injured, so Hush wanted to stay with him and make sure the Private would be alright. Nina was the second person that night that saw Leon's face, as she picked him shortly after his encounter with the cloaked woman.

"You don't wear that thing just because of your looks, do you ?" She asked, "Sure, I zoned out for a second and thought you're a woman, but it's not that big of a deal."

"That would be a bit foolish, Corporal. It's just that I have a certain attunement with the Aura of others, if that's an appropriate way to describe it. I considered it intrusive, so I decided to lock it away."

"To be honest, I don't really get it," She shrugged and cheekily observed his covered eyes, "I'm just glad I got to know what you really look like under there, sir."

"I don't understand."

"I guess you're a bit stiff … "She said in slight disappointment, "Anyhow, you can tone it down with the "corporal" once in a while, you know. On our next job, call me Nina. Good luck in Vacuo !"

Leon was left alone in thought. He would have to test the Paladin's capabilities once again in Vacuo; he would need to make the arrangements with commander Cordovin to prepare a ship. However, he couldn't help but think of the wolf woman. Back then, he could truly feel her conflicting emotions. He wondered if he managed to push her into changing, but it was naïve to think he could do that on his own.

...

Notes : I guess you could say that Leon's kind of a Char clone (I've watched a lot of Gundam by now), but he's also inspired by the Chevalier D'Éon.


	23. CHAP 17

Ruka 'Zovam stepped out to the hangar, as Tallius was done being congratulated by Mardus in their typical tribal Jiralhanae manner. To his surprise, he didn't notice major losses among Tallius' unit. They had brought prizes onboard – two humanoid (although the only humanoid elements were the legs and arms) battle-machines had been recovered, while shambles of a third were also salvaged. Humans had utilized these sorts of weapons before. Curiously, while two were in dull-grey, the other was colored in deep red. Pluk and other Unggoy had taken a liking to the red machine.

"Typical human engineering; crude and fragile," He said once he approached Mardus, "But I suppose it should be useful enough as scrap for our purposes."

"That sort dismissal for humans is why we suffered for almost three decades for in the war for our Covenant. I remember Reach, after all. Don't you remember your own years of service ?"

"I don't wish to reminisce about the past, much less with you. More importantly, Tallius brought prisoners along."

"I'm sure that you think there was no reason to do so," Mardus admitted, "But this was Tallius' hunt. We'll keep the humans until he decides what to do with them. In the meantime, we could always interrogate them, I suppose."

"I'm sure your Jiralhanae could use them for target practice," He gestured the Chieftain to follow him to the control room, "We must ponder on our next course of action."

The dark control room was illuminated by the pinkish-red holographic display of the surrounding forest. The _Burning Resolve_ hadn't moved from its initial position where the portal on Kholo had sent them to.

"Regardless of why the portal had awakened and sent us here," Ruka briefed the Chieftain, "I believe it wouldn't be unlikely that there would be a way to return to Kholo the same way we arrived."

"But when the ship is fully operational, couldn't we simply leave this world ?"

"I don't wish for us to wander in the void of space. Besides, if we cannot acquire this technology for ourselves, we can at least make use of it while we're here. I'm sure your warriors would be pleased to be able to plunder this world further, especially when the Demons might still be near."

"Why worry over a few lost Spartans ? There's clearly bigger and important prey around, after all."

"You may have grown complacent in your old age, but I have not," Ruka's tone grew harsh, "I do in fact remember my years of service in the Silent Shadow, and that is why I cannot live with the thought that the Demons are still near us. If nothing else, Atriox would at least be pleased with their deaths."

…

With Troy's reluctant blessing (As he said he was going to spend his entire day at Beacon's library anyway), Ruby took Claire out with her to the city of Vale; the Spartan girl went out in Beacon's uniform as opposed to Ruby Rose's stylized outfit she wore when they first met, as the Spartan didn't care about getting into other clothes just for this despite her dislike of the school's uniform. As for the city, it wasn't like the polished and crisp look of Earth and many colonies – it was reminiscent of something in the 21st century. Regardless, she couldn't say it was unpleasant.

"You know, it's great that we get a whole day for this, Weiss, Yang and Blake are doing their own things today," Ruby went on, "So, where do you wanna go ?"

She agreed to go out because of some genuine feelings, but she honestly had no idea what to think of when Ruby posed that question. She wasn't made for this, so she apathetically shrugged.

"U-um, alright," The girl in black and red seemed a bit lost as well, "Where do you usually like to go ?"

She shrugged once more.

"Oh, I get it, you've just never went out with another person, that's what it is, right ?"

 _No._ She shrugged again.

"Huh … Do you ever go out ?"

She didn't respond, stone-faced.

"N-no, I mean, that's alright, I'm not really that type either," She laughed awkwardly, "I know a place we can eat at."

She felt her stomach grumble and a sudden eagerness to follow Ruby to that destination. They walked a bit further; Claire absorbed the look of the town. She almost zoned before they reach a interesting little place : a street-side noodle house, _A Simple Wok_. Ruby took an order from the old man that hosted the place that Claire could swear she saw sweeping around another shop half-an-hour earlier, but she thought it was only a confidence.

"Salutations, Ruby !"

Claire, alarmed, turned to the source of the joyful voice. A girl in an old-fashioned blouse enthusiastically greeted Ruby Rose.

"P-Penny," Her friend was surprised but delighted, "How do you find me ?"

"That's easy, I spotted you thirty minutes and kept up with you at a regular pace."

"Right …"

The Spartan thought about how strange what this new person said just was, it sounded robotic. This "Penny" then suddenly fixed a curious gaze upon Claire with her bright green eyes, eyeing her up. Claire did the same. Her first thought was that this girl seemed like a living doll – perfectly curled orange hair complimented by a pink bow, with skin almost lighter than the Spartan's.

"Penny, this is Claire," Ruby said, "She's a transfer student to Beacon from … Um, where are you from ?"

She remembered Troy's words. _"We're from Vacuo, whatever that's like. I'll find out as much as I can, especially about that dark wolf thing you saw ."_

"Vacuo." She responded quietly.

"Right, Vacuo, and I'm showing her around town."

"I see, how interesting," Penny said and offered the Spartan a handshake, "A friend of Ruby could be my friend as well. Salutations, Claire."

 _Friend ?_

They greeted each other and Ruby went back to her order. They sat together once the food came in, two bowls instead of one.

"You won't eat with us, Penny ?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, it does certainly look delicious, but I don't need it ! I'd love to try ice cream, though."

Claire stared at her bowl of freshly-cooked seasoned noodles, the aroma enveloping her nostrils. She wasted no time in digging in, as if consuming this meal was her sole mission. When she was done, Ruby look at her in amazement as her bowl was only half-empty by then.

"Wow, you're a big eater ! You know, that Sergey seems like that type too, we should bring him next time !"

Claire doubted Troy would allow a sortie for Sergey for a while, given the fact that he was currently grounded somewhere for his "excessive aggressive behavior" during his mock battle with the boy Claire originally punched in an unstable state.

Her attention was turned to another shop to their left, where two men were trying to clean off their window from some sort of graffiti. It was a minimalist depiction of a fierce predator's head in dark red, like a wolf, with a set of three scars as a background.

"Oh, looks it's that White Fang graffiti again," Ruby said darkly, "It's been showing up more."

"The people responsible for them must be complete delinquents !"

"I don't think "delinquents" is the right way to describe them, Penny …"

 _White Fang ?_

"So, up for another ?" Ruby asked. Claire took her empty bowl in her hands and bowed her head down as she showed it off.

"Please."

…

"So, you're a bookworm ?"

Ever since morning, Troy was spending his time in the library, trying to digest as much information as he could. Yoko could probably process the entirety of human history in a matter of hours, he thought, but that didn't discourage him from adapting himself to this environment.

But that golden-blonde Yang in her school uniform decided to pay him a visit, although he had no clue why.

"I guess I'm more bored than anything."

"Same for me," She said, "Ruby's off with your creepy girl. Blake's not really in the mood to do much. She's busy thinking about the Fang."

Troy already heard about the White Fang, a terrorist group fighting for the rights of "Faunus." It seemed to be the Insurrection movement was for the UEG.

"What about, uh, Weiss ?"

"She's studying," The girl yawned and sat backwards on a chair in front of him, "Say, where's Sergey ?"

"He's grounded."

"Aw, but Cardin deserved that ! I wanted to punch that jerk too …"

" _Maybe you both need restraint_ ," He thought and tried concentrating on reading again, "Maybe he's a jerk, but Sergey was having too much fun."

"What ? It's not like he would've killed Cardin."

"I'm not so sure about that."

" … Exciting," The blonde said with a smirk, a reaction that Troy should've expected from someone that seemed to share Sergey's impulsive nature, "You know, it's just that I thought about having a few a sparring match or two with him myself."

"I'm sure you'll have fun," Once again, he put his attention on reading, but the girl got closer in order to throw him off.

"That's not all," She said quietly, "This can't just be Ruby's job, so I think our teams should meet up back in our dorms."

"W-why ?"

"For fun, you know," She had a cunning look in her eyes, "But you're gonna tell us what you know about that weird ape thing we saw and that fancy armor you've got, or whatever else. Sounds good ?"

"What if I say no ?"

"I guess you can, I won't force you. But if you don't wanna talk about that, just hanging out together wouldn't hurt, right ?"

"I guess so … " He thought he was sociable enough, but he wasn't sure what they could do just by "hanging out."

"I'll let you think about it," She went off and waved at him, "But just you know, when I'll talk to Ruby about it, she won't let you say no !"

Troy wanted to sigh and say to himself that none of this was necessary, but when he thought about it, it all depended on whatever Yoko could dig up. He couldn't find the Banished by himself unless they showed themselves, but she could, then he could come up with a plan after that. More so, he realized that he felt strangely at ease. Maybe it was the environment of this unusual school, but it was also the easy-going attitude of its people. These people, seemingly cut off from the rest of humanity, didn't know about Troy and his teammates being Spartans and everything that entailed. He felt nice about being "normal", even if such a thing was difficult for Sergey and Claire to achieve.


End file.
